title: Bipaddled submental artery flap.
abstract: Oral cancer is a major public health problem in India. Most patients present with locally advanced disease requiring complex resection and reconstruction strategies. Costs, operating time and availability of expertise are major issues that influence efficient health delivery, especially in developing countries such as India. Technically simple and widely reproducible techniques may be used successfully where applicable, to overcome these issues. The submental artery flap is a well described and acceptable alternative to the radial artery forearm free flap in oral cavity reconstruction. Researchers have demonstrated its technical ease of performance and reproducibility amongst trainees. Here the authors describe the bipaddled submental artery flap, a modification of the standard flap, which can be used to provide lining as well as skin cover for a full thickness cheek defect. Two skin paddles are fashioned taking advantage of the vascular anatomy of the submental vessels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry 605006, India. docaravind@gmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramkumar
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Senthil Kumar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dinesh Kumar
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D002610:Cheek / Q000601:surgery; D002680:Chin / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*