Patient‐reported outcomes after oral cancer reconstructions with radial and ulnar forearm‐free flaps

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate patient‐reported quality of life and incidence of decision regret in patients undergoing radial (RFFF) and ulnar forearm‐free flaps (UFFF) reconstruction.Materials and MethodsPatients undergoing either RFFF or UFFF were assessed with the University of Washington Quality of Life (UW‐QOL) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐14) questionnaires, and the Decision Regret Scale (DRS), both before and at least 12 months post‐reconstruction.ResultsIn total, 40 RFFF and 40 UFFF were included. Harvesting time was longer in RFFF (p = 0.043), and the donor‐site defect was significantly larger in RFFF than in UFFF (p = 0.044). Patients with UFFF scored better UW‐QOL in the appearance, pain, activity, mood, and social functioning domains (p < 0.05). However, the RFFF group excelled in swallowing and chewing domains. The DRS score revealed a significant difference between RFFF and UFFF, with scores of 36.26 versus 27.36, respectively. Moreover, the mean DRS score reduced at 12 months compared with 6 months, significantly superior for UFFF.ConclusionOral cancer patients reconstructed with UFFF exhibited a better appearance, social domain, and mild decision regret compared with RFFF, indicating that the UFFF may contribute to improving postoperative quality of life in oral cancer patients.