Reconstruction with cervical island flap after resection of oral cancers

Large defects in the oral cavity due to tumor resection will impair the patient's ability to masticate and speak, thereby adversely affecting the patient's quality of life. The reconstruction of moderate defects from resections of tumors has been facilitated by the development of myocutaneous flaps which permits immediate reconstruction. One of the myocutaneous flaps used for reconstruction following moderate tissue loss in the intraoral region is the cervical island skin flap. Here we report twenty cases in which this flap was used for immediate reconstruction after treatment of oral cancers. This study was conducted to investigate the complications and masticatory functions of postoperative oral cancer patients. There were 5 cases (total: 1, partial: 4) of postoperative flap necrosis, which did not require additional surgical repair. However, this reconstructive procedure was able to manage the masticatory and speech functions satisfactorily. We consider that cervical island skin flap is useful for reconstruction of moderate tissue loss in the oral cavity, because it is simple and can maintain the postoperative functions.