title: [Assessment of quality of life of oral cancer patients after reconstruction with radial forearm free flaps].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the quality of life in patients who had resection of oral cancer and reconstruction by radial forearm free flaps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quality of life of 49 patients was assessed by means of the 14-item oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) and the medical outcomes study-short form-36 (SF-36) questionnaires 12 months after operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one questionnaires were collected (84%). SF-36: the highest-scoring domain were physical role (92.9 ± 2.6) and bodily pain (82.6 ± 5.7), the lowest-scoring domain were vitality (61.5 ± 9.1), followed by role emotion (64.9 ± 6.8) and social functioning (65.2 ± 8.2). OHIP-14: the best-scoring domain were handicap (37.1 ± 15.1) and psychological disability (45.7 ± 11.9), the best-scoring domain were physical pain (64.2 ± 11.7) and functional limitation (61.9 ± 12.9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radial forearm free flaps for reconstruction of oral defects after cancer resection could significantly influence the patients' quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Yu-sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Wen-lu
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhong-fei
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Fa-yu
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chang-fu
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000601:surgery; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires