Pedicled Forehead Flap for Reconstruction of Cheek Defect: A Novel Surgical Case Report

Abstract

Oral cancers are considered slow killer disease. Every year 3,00,000 cases are diagnosed worldwide. Public awareness has been a great challenge to educate people to avoid harmful oral habits to prevent oral cancer. People are not aware about life threatening complications such as death due to oral cancer. Oral cancer is the eighth most common malignancy in India and third most common malignancy in South East Asia. Buccal mucosa carcinoma spreads rapidly and invades deeply to underlying tissues and has high recurrence rate. Surgical resection is more challenging if the tumour invade adjacent anatomical structures and reconstruction should be planned according to extent of tumour resection. Regional flaps are used for oral cavity after tumour resection such as radial forearm flap, deltopectoral flap, pectoralis major flap, latissimus dorsi flap, transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap, trapezius flap. In this case report folded forehead pedicle flap was used to provide both inner and outer linings of the cheek defect following buccal mucosa tumour resection.