title: Reconstruction of full-thickness buccal defects with submental island flap.
abstract: Our goal was to introduce the application of submental island flap in reconstructing through-and-through cheek defects. From January 2009 to January 2013, 7 patients (5 men and 2 women) with full-thickness buccal defects due to tumor resection received submental flap reconstruction at the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University; surgical procedure and success rate as well as functional results were described. Distal partial necrosis occurred in 1 flap, but all flaps survived. All patients were capable of maintaining a regular oral diet, and no patients complained of an inability to eat in a public setting, microstomia, or drooling; the appearance was reported to be good or acceptable in all cases, and the mean postoperative mouth-open width was 4.2 (range, 3.7-5.0) cm. One patient had a local recurrence in the follow-up. Therefore, submental island flap is a reliable procedure for through-and-through buccal defects in selected patients.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Head Neck & Thyroid Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qi-Gen
authors.initials: QG
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Rui-Hua
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shan-Ting
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Jinxing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D002610:Cheek / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D013524:Surgical Flaps