Soft Palate Reconstruction Using Bilateral Palatal Mucomuscular Flap and Pharyngeal Flap after Resection of Squamous Cell Carcinoma

• Published in: Archives of plastic surgery Vol. 39; no. 6; pp. 655 - 658
• Main Authors: Kim, Jun Sik, Jo, Hyeon Jong, Kim, Nam Gyun, Lee, Kyung Suk
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc 01.11.2012; The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons; 대한성형외과학회
• Subjects: Case Report; Head and neck neoplasms; Soft palate; Squamous cell carcinoma; Surgical flaps; 성형외과학; Squamous cell carcinoma; Surgical flaps; Head and neck neoplasms; Soft palate
• ISSN: 2234-6163; 2234-6171
• DOI: 10.5999/aps.2012.39.6.655

Squamous cell carcinoma infrequently occurs at the soft palate. Although various methods can be used for reconstruction of soft palate defects that occur after resecting squamous cell carcinoma, it is difficult to obtain satisfactory results from the perspective of the functional restoration of the soft palate. A combination of bilateral palatal mucomuscular flap for the oral side and superiorly based posterior pharyngeal flap for the nasal side were performed on two patients who were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the soft palate in order to reconstruct the soft palate defects after surgical resection. After surgery, the patients were followed-up for a mean period of 11 months. The flaps were well maintained in both patients. The donor site defects were epithelialized and completely recovered. Additionally, no recurrence of the primary sites was shown. Slight hyponasality was observed in the voice assessments that were conducted 6 months after surgery. No food regurgitation or aspiration was observed in the swallowing tests. We used a combination of bilateral palatal mucomuscular flap and superiorly based posterior pharyngeal flap to reconstruct the soft palate defects that occurred after resecting the squamous cell carcinomas. We reduced the donor site complications and achieved functionally satisfactory outcomes.