Cakmak Mehmet Akif, Cinal Hakan, Barin Ensar Zafer, Sakat Muhammed Sedat, Karaduman Harun, Tan Onder
Department of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
J Craniofac Surg. 2018 May;29(3):735-737. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000004331.
Free flaps based on static slings principles cannot provide esthetic and functional outcomes at a desired level in total or close to total lip loss. Therefore, dynamic methods have become a current issue in recent years and especially the idea of functional gracilis free muscle flap has been suggested. In this study, we present a case of a successful total lower lip repair with this flap.In a 78-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma involving the entire lower lip, bilateral modified radical neck dissection and full-thickness total resection with 1 cm surgical margin so as to include both commissures of the tumor were performed and then a free gracilis muscle flap was transferred from the same side. After microvascular anastomoses, the motor nerve of the flap was coapted to the marginal mandibular branch of the fascial nerve. The entire intra- and extraoral surfaces of the flap were covered with a partial-thickness skin graft which was taken from the right thigh. There was no any intra- or early postoperative complication. The skin graft and flap survived without any problem.In the controls of the patient who was followed-up for 8 postoperative months, it was observed that the gracilis muscle flap was well-adapted to its place, gained a very good tonus, its volume reduced over time and reached to ideal dimensions, and the overlying skin graft provided a good color and texture match with the surrounding tissues. The motor activity of the muscle was monitored with the Tinel's test. The speech and facial expressions of the patient were very clear. Despite the patient has an edentulous mandible and was not using prosthesis, her feeding with fluid and solid foods was free of problems, oral competence was highly sufficient, and there was no any drooling. Esthetic appearance was very good and intraoral vestibular depth was sufficient. The mouth opening was 3 cm. When comparing with upper orbicularis oculi muscle on the electroneuromyography (ENMG) ordered at the 8th month, a similar nerve conduction time (3.3 versus 3.8 ms) and contraction amplitude (0.5 versus 0.4 mV) values were obtained from the gracilis muscle. Follow-up of the patient is still continued with no tumor recurrence observed during this period.Being the real dynamic flap and its tonus of the functional gracillis free muscle flap in opposite to the static methods provides a significant superiority over the other options in terms of oral functions; moreover, the overlying skin graft presents a very good color and texture harmony aesthetically. This method is a candidate to be an exclusive surgical technique in the repair of total or close to total lip losses in the future.
基于静态悬吊原理的游离皮瓣无法在全下唇或接近全下唇缺失的情况下达到理想的美学和功能效果。因此,近年来动态修复方法成为研究热点,尤其是功能性股薄肌游离肌皮瓣的理念被提出。在本研究中,我们报告了1例应用该皮瓣成功修复全下唇缺损的病例。
1例78岁女性患者,诊断为下唇鳞状细胞癌累及整个下唇,行双侧改良根治性颈清扫术,并进行全层肿瘤切除,手术切缘为1cm,包括肿瘤的双侧口角,随后从同侧转移游离股薄肌皮瓣。微血管吻合后,将皮瓣的运动神经与面神经下颌缘支吻合。皮瓣的整个口内和口外表面均覆盖取自右大腿的中厚皮片。术中及术后早期均未出现任何并发症。皮片和皮瓣均顺利存活。
术后8个月随访患者,发现股薄肌皮瓣位置固定良好,肌张力恢复良好,随着时间推移体积缩小并达到理想大小,覆盖的皮片与周围组织在颜色和质地方面匹配良好。通过Tinel试验监测肌肉的运动活性。患者的言语和面部表情清晰。尽管患者下颌无牙且未使用假牙,但流食和固体食物的摄入均无问题,口腔功能良好,无流涎现象。美学外观良好,口内前庭深度足够。开口度为3cm。在术后第8个月进行的肌电图检查中,与同侧眼轮匝肌相比,股薄肌的神经传导时间(3.3对3.8ms)和收缩幅度(0.5对0.4mV)相似。患者仍在继续随访,在此期间未观察到肿瘤复发。
与静态方法相比,功能性股薄肌游离肌皮瓣是真正的动态皮瓣且具有张力,在口腔功能方面比其他方法具有显著优势;此外,覆盖的皮片在美学上呈现出非常好的颜色和质地协调性。该方法有望成为未来全下唇或接近全下唇缺损修复的独特手术技术。