Skin grafts in oral cavity reconstruction.

Resurfacing of surgically created oral cavity defects with skin grafts is easily accomplished and is attended by predictable success. This method has been used to reconstruct the oral cavities of 57 patients whose defects were too large for primary closure, but not large enough to require pedicle flap reconstruction to replace completely resected anterior tongue or tongue base. The defects created by local or composite resection of oral cavity tissue may be closed by skin grafts. Closure of surgically created oral defects with skin grafts has a low complication rate, even when used in conjunction with preoperative or postoperative radiation therapy. Since the technique also results in good oral cavity function, it would seem to be an ideal method for reconstruction of selected oral cavity defects.