The pedicled buccal fat pad in oral reconstruction.
OBJECTIVE
Aim of the study was to present a follow-up on 46 cases in which pedical buccal fat pad (BFP) flaps were used to repair oral defects without any additional local flaps or skin grafts.


METHODS
The study comprised 46 patients, 31 men and 15 women, with an age range of 30-78 years (mean age 57.3 years). They were treated with a pedicled flap to repair defects of the ipsilateral maxilla (anterior or posterior), soft palate or retromolar mandibular area following tumor resection, osteonecrosis or the closure of oro-antral fistulae. The defects ranged from 2 × 2.5 cm to 4.5 × 5 cm. All patients were treated under general anesthesia.


RESULTS
The flap fully covered the intraoral defect with any aesthetic deficits. After one month, the flap was fully epithelialized and of adequate thickness in all cases. Three postoperative complications were reported: one superficial necrosis and two small fistulae.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the BFP has long been recognized and despite the simplicity of preparing the flap itself, numerically significant reports concerning the use of this technique in reconstructive facial surgery have only recently been published. The pedicled buccal fat flap is convenient and reliably repairs oral defects up to 4.5 cm in diameter on the ipsilateral side of the soft and hard palate, posterior alveolar region of the maxilla and the retromolar mandibular area. The surgical procedure is simple and morbidity at the donor site in not significant.
Department of Maxillo‑Facial Surgery, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy - ancastellani@libero.it.
A
A
Castellani
G
G
Bocchialini
S
S
Negrini
U
U
Zanetti
A
A
Rossi
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000637:transplantation*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002610:Cheek / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D009957:Oroantral Fistula / Q000601:surgery; D010020:Osteonecrosis / Q000601:surgery; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000601:surgery; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps