Abstract
Introduction: Globally, oral cancer accounts for 30% of head and neck cancers and 2.0% of all cancer.
The surgery must remove the tumor with safe marginal resection to limit recurrence; however, it causes
large defects. The submental flap is gaining popularity as a technique for reconstructing oral defects, with
advantages: high survival rate and flexibility. This study aimsto evaluate the efficacy of the submental flap in
reconstructive defects after oral cancer surgery at the Department of Oncology Surgery - Oncology Center
of Hue Central Hospital from April 2020 to August 2021. Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 8 patients who had defects reconstructed by a
submental flap after oral cancer surgery.
Results: The average dimension of the submental flap was 28 cm2
(4 x 7 cm). The reconstructed sites
included: tongue (3 cases), floor of mouth (4 cases), buccal mucosa (1 case). Patients had oral feeds after
8 days, discharged after 12 days. Complications: Oro - cutaneous fistula (2 cases), partial necrosis (1
case). After one month, the flaps were survival, and the oral cavity function had reduced (swallowing and
speech function were quite limited). After six months, 7/8 cases had no locoregional recurrence; the flap
was good, and the oral cavity function was normal. One case had local recurrence.
Conclusions: Submental flap is a valid option for reconstructing intra - oral soft tissue with a high
survival rate.
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| Published | 07-12-2021 — Updated on 23-01-2025 | |
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| Issue | No. 74 (2021) | |
| Section | Original article | |
| DOI | 10.38103/jcmhch.2021.74.18 | |
| Keywords | Ung thư khoang miệng, vạt dưới cằm.. Oral cancer, submental flap. |
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