title: Use of the buccal fat pad in the immediate reconstruction of palatal defects related to cancer surgery with postoperative radiation therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the use of the buccal fat pad (BFP) in the immediate reconstruction of oncologic palate defects and the influence of postoperative radiotherapy on reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who were diagnosed with moderate- to high-grade malignancies of the palate underwent partial maxillectomy. The BFP was used as a pedicled flap to reconstruct the defects. All patients received postoperative radiotherapy 4 to 5 weeks after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen patients (9 men and 9 women; age range, 37 to 81 yr) underwent surgery and subsequent radiotherapy. The size of all defects ranged from 7.5 to 19.2 cm2. Adequate closure of the defects was achieved during surgery and all flaps were epithelialized within 3 weeks after surgery, with no complications of dehiscence or flap failure. Furthermore, there were no complications derived from postoperative radiotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that BFP grafting is an effective and reliable method for the reconstruction of small to medium-size palate defects. Furthermore, postoperative radiotherapy does not influence the success of reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Radiotherapy, Yu-Huang-Ding Hospital affiliated to Tsingtao University, Yantai, China.
authors.forename: Yipeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Stomatology, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo, China.
authors.forename: Binbin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.affiliation: Attending Surgeon, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: huyayi@163.com.
authors.forename: Jingzhou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department Head, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chenping
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhiyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D010159:Palate / Q000473:pathology*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures