[The tongue flap in palatal defect reconstruction]

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Plastic Surgery
• Oncology

Context:

• Palatal defects, often resulting from tumor exeresis, present a reconstructive challenge due to their inability to be directly sutured.
• Existing techniques like palatal obturators, free flaps, and local flaps have limitations in terms of patient tolerance, complexity, or outcomes.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of the tongue pediculated flap technique for reconstructing palatal defects.
• To present the tongue flap as a safe, reliable, and reproducible surgical option.

Summary:

• The tongue pediculated flap involves a two-stage surgical process to reconstruct palatal defects, utilizing a double-layer muscular and mucosal flap.
• This technique is described as easy to perform, safe, and reliable, with excellent aesthetic and functional results reported.
• The procedure requires temporary nasogastric tube feeding between surgeries.

Impact:

• The tongue flap serves as a viable alternative to palatal obturators, which are often poorly tolerated long-term.
• It offers comparable results to free flaps but with potentially simpler implementation, especially in resource-limited settings.
• This technique is particularly recommended for mediopalatal defects arising from cancer surgery.