www.PRSJournal.com 584e
L
ingual flaps are an outdated but effective
solution for intraoral reconstruction with
local mucosal tissue.
1
However, the need for
two surgical stages and the patient discomfort dur-
ing flap delay have limited their popularity.
Other local mucosal tissues are often inad-
equate for repair of moderate to large oral defects
in one stage, and cutaneous free flaps are often
the first option for reconstruction of such defects
but add complexity to the operation and bring
skin into the oral cavity. The introduction of per-
forator and propeller flaps has expanded the pos-
sibilities of reconstructing complex defects in a
single stage with local tissue.
2–9
Disclosure: The authors have no financial interest
to declare in relation to the content of this article.
Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000000956
Adriana Cordova, M.D.
Francesca Toia, M.D.
Salvatore D’Arpa, M.D.,
Ph.D.
Gabriele Giunta, M.D.
Francesco Moschella, M.D.
Palermo, Italy
Background: Lingual flaps provide ideal mucosal coverage for intraoral
defects but traditionally require two surgical stages. The authors present an
axial mucosal propeller flap for single-stage intraoral reconstruction. The flap
includes the mucosa of the lateral side of the tongue, islanded on the deep
lingual vessels.
Methods: Between 2011 and 2013, 23 patients underwent intraoral mucosal
reconstruction with a deep lingual artery axial propeller flap after cancer resec-
tion in the cheek (n = 16), floor of the mouth (n = 2), retromolar trigone
(n = 2), hard palate (n = 2), and soft palate (n = 1). Mean defect size was
19.5 cm
2
. Preoperative and postoperative intraoral function was evaluated with
the Functional Intraoral Glasgow Scale.
Results: The authors always achieved one-stage reconstruction with primary
donor-site closure. The only complications were an infection treated conserva-
tively and a late oronasal fistula caused by radiotherapy. All patients resumed
an oral diet after 1 week and none required surgical revision. Mean 12-month
postoperative Functional Intraoral Glasgow Scale score was better than the
preoperative score (13.5 versus 12.8).
Conclusions: The deep lingual artery axial propeller flap combines the advan-
tages of the traditional lingual flap (i.e., reliable axial vascularization and like-
with-like reconstruction) with those of a propeller flap (i.e., one-stage transfer of
like tissue and extreme mobility) and has wider indications than a conventional
lingual flap. The technique is fast and has low morbidity and good functional
results, and the authors recommend it as a first-choice technique to reconstruct
moderate to large intraoral defects. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 135: 584e, 2015.)
CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.
From Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of
Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, University of
Palermo.
Received for publication July 4, 2014; accepted September
2, 2014.
Presented at the 25th Annual Meeting of the European Asso-
ciation of Plastic Surgeons, in Ischia, Italy, May 29 through
31, 2014.
A New Mucosal Propeller Flap (Deep Lingual
Artery Axial Propeller): The Renaissance of
Lingual Flaps
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RECONSTRUCTIVE