Are contralateral submental artery perforator flaps feasible for the reconstruction of postoperative defects of oral cancer?

Abstract

Background: We evaluated the clinical applications of the reconstruction of postoperative defects of the oral cavity using contralateral submental artery flaps. Methods: A retrospective study of 18 patients with postoperative intraoral cancer defects reconstructed with contralateral submental artery perforator flaps between October 2018 and October 2019 in our department was conducted. The defect area, flap size, and complications were evaluated. Results: All patients were diagnosed based on pathological examinations: 2 with adenoid cystic carcinoma and 16 with squamous cell carcinoma. The submental artery perforator flap used for simultaneous repair was 8 to 15 cm in length and 4 to 6.5 cm in width. The survival rate of flap reconstruction was 100% with no donor site complications. Conclusions: Contralateral submental artery flap reconstruction is a suitable alternative for moderate to large intraoral defects, postoperative mouth floor defects, and oral cavity composite defects of oral malignant tumors without contralateral lymph node metastases.

Preservation of the Nerve to the Mylohyoid Muscle During Submental Island Flaps: An Anatomic Feasibility Study for Facial Nerve Reanimation Procedures

“…The submental island flap (SIF) was first reported by Martin et al in 1990, which is an axial pattern flap that uses the submental artery and vein as a feeding vessel 1 . Submental island flap have been referred to by a variety of names including the following: submental island flap, 2–4 submental artery flap, 5 submental artery island flap, 6,7 submental flap, 8–13 submental perforator flap, 14 submental artery perforator flap, 15 submental perforator-based island flap, 16 and submental island pedicled flap 17 . Although these are not all exactly synonymous, in this paper, we use the term “submental island flap (SIF)” to refer to them all.…”