The mental V-Y island advancement flap in functional lower lip reconstruction

Various flap procedures for the reconstruction of lower lip defects have been described to achieve the basic requirements of a functional repair, namely muscle function and sensation. Flaps elevated from the upper lip or the adjacent cheek may provide a solution, but for larger lower lip defects, preservation of function is difficult. In this article, a new functional lower lip reconstruction technique that includes the transfer of a myocutaneous flap based on the mental neurovascular bundle and on the branches of the facial artery is described. The principle of this reconstructive procedure is to advance the tissues from both sides of the chin as myocutaneous flaps upward to the lip defect, reorienting the muscles of the flap for sphincteric function, and preserving the mental nerve for sensation. The depressor anguli oris and remnants of the orbicularis muscle together with their motor nerve branches are included in the V-Y advancement flap.