Interest of the tongue flap in the repair of endo buccal substance loss

Abstract

Introduction: The tongue flapis a simple, reliable, but little-used technique, presenting an excellent alternative for reconstruction of oral cavity substance loss. Materials, methods: We carried out a retrospective study over a 3-year period, involving 10 cases of patients presenting with oral substance loss, collated within the maxillo-facial and aesthetic surgery department of CHU MED 6 in Marrakech. Results: Our therapeutic arsenal includes tongue flaps: distal, proximal and ventral pedicle, with indications for several topographical regions. The procedure was well to lerated by our patients, and our results showed excellent short-termhealing, as well as the flaps proving viable in the long term. Discussion: the tongueflapis a simple, reliable and easy technique that has been abandoned in favor of more complex and sometimes more deleterious techniques for the patient. Based on ourexperience and reviewing the experience of others, it is clear that the tongueflapis a useful and versatile option for the repair of endooral SDB. With longer follow-up, the key patient out comes will be come more evident. Conclusion: The relative simplicity of this technique and its potential advantages over more established techniques make it an ideal solution when resources are limited.