Tongue Reconstruction

Tongue Reconstruction

One of the most common examples of oral cancer is tongue carcinoma. The present day treatment procedures for tongue cancer are mostly by surgery and comprehensive therapies. There are a lot of methods which accurately solve the defects caused due to ablative surgery. Small and mid-range problems like local flaps or primary closure can be solved with minor treatments. In the case of large defects, the only method available is reconstruction. However, it has got a lot of challenges associated with it.

The tongue plays an important role in deglutition and speech. Therefore a perfect reconstructive surgery will provide not onlythe ideal restoration of functions but also satisfactory structural reformation.

In 1984 Song et al. described the usage of Antero Lateral Thigh free flap. The failure rate of this flap was even lesser than two percent. From that time, ALT has replaced most of the flaps. An ALT is used for tongue reconstruction because it is readily available in the market; it has got a long neck and an appropriate diameter. The morbidity of the donor site is very low, and it has got versatility in design. The above factors have made ALT a standard method of reconstructive surgery.

It has also been seen than tongue reconstruction is a better cure for oral cancer than chemotherapy. The latter has got various side effects on health, and many patients cannot tolerate the radiations. However, the former has got only minimal effects like bruising and soaring, and the recovery period is also less.