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A regional approach to reconstruction of the upper lip
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oregon Health Sciences University, School of Dentistry, Portland 97201, USA.
Purpose:
This articles reviews the results obtained when cheek or lower lip flaps, or a combination of these flaps, are used for the reconstruction of defects of the upper lip.
Patients And Methods:
Twenty-four cases of either partial or total full-thickness defects of the upper lip were reconstructed. Four cases with lateral full-thickness partial defects were reconstructed by advancing a cheek flap using the Bernard-Burow method. In five cases, defects located at the junction of the upper lip and the cheek were reconstructed with an Estlander flap. Four patients with a tight upper lip were corrected with an Abbé flap. In two cases, a modified mucomuscular Abbé flap was used for reconstruction of a vermilion defect of the upper lip. Nine patients with subtotal or total full-thickness defects of the upper lip were reconstructed with a combination of bilateral or unilateral cheek flaps using either the Bernard-Burow or Dieffenback method and T-shaped or oblong Abbé flap.
Results:
All regional flaps healed uneventfully, and the function of reconstructed upper lips had recovered within 2 years postoperatively.
Conclusion:
Use of regional flaps to reconstruct partial or total full-thickness defects of the upper lip can usually achieve satisfactory functional and esthetic results.