RECONSTRUCTION OF MIDFACIAL AND PALATAL DEFECTS AFTER MAXILLECTOMY

상악골 절제술후 발생한 중앙부및 구개 결손부의 재건

There are various defects caused by trauma or resection of maignant tumor in the orofacial region, which can be reconstructed with various regional and pararegional flaps. Among these defects, it is very difficult to reconstruct palatal and midfacial defects after maxillectomy and patients have problems in speaking and swallowing of food. Therefore it is very important for surgeons to reconstruct these defects functionally and esthetically and to return the patients to the normal social activity. These defects are usually obturated with prosthodontic appliances to assist the phonation and swallowing. But nowadays surgical reconstruction by various flaps was considered and performed for better rehabilitation. For this purpose the forehead flap, the nasolabial flap, the tongue flap, the sternocleidomastoideous flap, the temporal flap, the latissimus dorsi flap, the scapular flap etc. are used. We reconstructed small-sized plalatal defects with tongue flap, medium-sized palatal and maxillary defects after maxillectomy with temporal myofascial flap and large midfacial defects including eyeball exenteration with latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps. Here we are to report 5 cases of these flaps used for the reconstruction of palatal and midfacial defects and consider the versatility, reliability and limitation in use of these flaps.