title: Reconstruction with rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap for total glossectomy with laryngectomy.
abstract: From October 1999 to July 2005, defects after total glossectomy with laryngectomy (TGL) for cancer of the tongue or middle pharynx were reconstructed with rectus abdominis myocutaneous (RAMC) flaps in nine patients. The skin flaps were designed larger in width than the original defect to create a funnel-shaped oropharynx and prevent stricture. Six patients had uneventful postoperative courses and began to eat perorally 8 to 15 days postoperatively. One patient suffered flap necrosis due to arterial thrombosis and two patients had leakage. Eventually, eight patients could eat soft foods or gruel, except one patient who had ingested food through a gastrostomy preoperatively. When TGL was performed without mandibulectomy, the blood supply for the remnant mucosa of the backside of the mandible is generally not good, for which the reconstruction with the overlapping deepithelialized flap and muscle is useful for prevention of the fistula formation. We considered that the RAMC flap is a good option for reconstruction after TGL.
authors: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kyorin University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Mutsumi
authors: M
authors: Okazaki
authors: Hirotaka
authors: H
authors: Asato
authors: Akihiko
authors: A
authors: Takushima
authors: Shunji
authors: S
authors: Sarukawa
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Okochi
authors: Hirotaka
authors: H
authors: Suga
authors: Kiyonori
authors: K
authors: Harii
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005927:Glossectomy; D006801:Humans; D007825:Laryngectomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*