Reconstruction of full-thickness buccal defects with submental island flap

Our goal was to introduce the application of submental island flap in reconstructing through-and-through cheek defects. From January 2009 to January 2013, 7 patients (5 men and 2 women) with full-thickness buccal defects due to tumor resection received submental flap reconstruction at the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University; surgical procedure and success rate as well as functional results were described. Distal partial necrosis occurred in 1 flap, but all flaps survived. All patients were capable of maintaining a regular oral diet, and no patients complained of an inability to eat in a public setting, microstomia, or drooling; the appearance was reported to be good or acceptable in all cases, and the mean postoperative mouth-open width was 4.2 (range, 3.7-5.0) cm. One patient had a local recurrence in the follow-up. Therefore, submental island flap is a reliable procedure for through-and-through buccal defects in selected patients.