A Novel Method for Reconstruction of the Lower Lip After Lip Cancer Ablation: Double Abbe Flap

Repair of large defects caused by lip cancer resection is often a challenge for surgeons. The aim of this study was to explore the treatment and outcomes of lower lip reconstruction with a novel surgical procedure after lip cancer ablation.

We performed a retrospective case-series study involving patients who underwent lower lip cancer resection between January 2014 and December 2017 at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. The shape, volume, and symmetry of the lips were evaluated after the operation. In addition, we classified the large defects of the lower lip and recommended the most appropriate surgical procedures for each type.

Seventeen men and two women comprised the study population. The average age of the patients was 63 years (range, 37 to 82 years). All the defects of the lower lip after resection were more than half the lip length. We designed and prepared 2 Abbe flaps located symmetrically at the upper lip to repair the defects of the lower lip, referred to as the "double Abbe flap." The double Abbe flap survived in all patients. The volume, shape, and symmetry of the lips were ideal in most patients, and the degree of mouth opening was acceptable in nearly all patients.

The double Abbe flap is a useful and predictable approach for reconstruction of the lower lip after large-area cancer resection, and it can provide a reference for the repair of lip defects from other causes.