title: Reconstruction of the lower lip.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are studies reporting the functional advantages of radiotherapy against surgical treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Because of this we decided to substantiate the surgical treatment as a method of choice in the reconstruction of defects of lower lip after cancer resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  The author has developed a modification of the method of Bernard for reconstruction of defects of the lower lip after cancer resection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A horizontal incision is made from the angle of the mouth to the cheek, and at the end of the incision a triangle of Burov is cut. After the resection of the tumour, from the lower edge of the defect (the transitional fold), a second incision is done with orientation to the submandibular area at the end of which a second triangle of Burov is cut. The incision takes into consideration the direction of skin folds for achieving better esthetic effect. This refined method was applied in 14 patients with lower lip carcinoma, 7 of them with unilateral flaps and 7- with bilateral flaps from 1994 to 1999.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The functional and esthetic results of the modified method for lower lip reconstruction are better because they lead to better mobility, symmetry of the reconstructed lower lip and optimal wideness of the mouth and the sensitivity is preserved. A mathematical method for planning of the tissues, needed for the replacement of the defect after the excision of the tumour in healthy tissues are under development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Higher Medical Institute, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Sarachev
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*