title: The anterolateral thigh flap for soft tissue reconstruction in patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgery remains the first choice of treatment for tongue cancer. Immediate reconstruction should be performed after wide resection of tumour. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anterolateral thigh flap for reconstruction of lingual defects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report 39 consecutive oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients who underwent lingual reconstruction with the anterolateral thigh flap between 2009 and 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The width of the skin island was 4 to 5 cm and the length of the skin island was 6 to 8 cm in 31 patients with T2 tumour, while the width of the skin island was 5.5 to 6 cm and the length of the skin island was 9 to 12 cm in 8 patients with T3/4 tumours. The all flap survival rate was 97.5 % in our series.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We could obtain sufficient flap volume using the anterolateral thigh flap for tongue reconstruction. The single perforator-based anterolateral thigh flap is a good option for soft tissue reconstruction in patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. 597318966@qq.com.
authors: Xiang-Juan
authors: XJ
authors: Tong
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.|Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Stomatological Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors: Zhan-Gui
authors: ZG
authors: Tang
authors: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors: Zhen-Feng
authors: ZF
authors: Shan
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors: Xin-Cheng
authors: XC
authors: Guo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps / Q000637:transplantation*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013848:Thigh / Q000601:surgery; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Anterolateral thigh flap; Oral cancer; Reconstruction; Tongue squamous cell carcinoma