Radial forearm-palmaris longus tenocutaneous free flap; implication in the repair of the moderate-sized postoncologic soft palate defect.
BACKGROUND
Moderate resection of the soft palate results in suboptimal outcomes in terms of postoperative velopharyngeal function. We propose the radial forearm tenocutaneous free flap incorporating the palmaris longus tendon for reconstruction of the levator sling in these cases.


METHODS
Twenty-six patients underwent reconstruction with this method. Group I defect involved up to one-fourth of the soft palate. Group II defect involved up to one-half of the soft palate whether or not including the uvula. Group III defect involved more than three-fourths of the soft palate. Postoperative function was assessed by means of speech intelligibility, swallowing performance, nasalance score, and nasoendoscopy.


RESULTS
Groups I and II showed normal results for speech intelligibility and swallowing function at 44 months. In group III, both parameters proved to be suboptimal.


CONCLUSIONS
Moderate-sized soft palatal resection cases (group II) benefited most from this particular method of dynamic reconstruction using the radial forearm tenocutaneous free flap.
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Tai Suk
TS
Roh
Won Jai
WJ
Lee
Eun Chang
EC
Choi
Yoon Woo
YW
Koh
Dae Hyun
DH
Lew
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003679:Deglutition; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000601:surgery*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013710:Tendons / Q000637:transplantation; D055158:Velopharyngeal Sphincter / Q000503:physiopathology