Nasolabial Flap in the Management of Oral Sub Mucous Fibrosis: A Series of Cases

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of the nasolabial flap in the management of oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). The descriptive case series included 75 patients diagnosed with OSMF who underwent surgical intervention under general anesthesia. Preoperative mouth opening measurements were compared with postoperative measurements taken after 2 months. Regarding mouth opening, out of the 75 patients, 4 (5.3%) had unsatisfactory results after treatment, while 22 (29.3%) experienced satisfactory outcomes. The majority of patients, 49 (65.3%), achieved normal mouth opening (more than 30 mm) following the Nasolabial flap procedure. This indicates that the Nasolabial flap yielded favorable results in terms of restoring normal mouth opening and benefiting the patients. Based on the findings of this study, the Nasolabial flap was determined to be a viable surgical option for managing oral submucous fibrosis due to its ease of operation, reliable flap vascularity, and low post-operative complication rate. The only drawback identified was the presence of a surgical scar, which can be addressed through secondary correction procedures.