Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2019 Feb;33(1):38-45.
doi: 10.1055/s-0039-1677789. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Free-Flap Reconstruction of the Tongue

Aurora Vincent  1 , Scott Kohlert  2 , Thomas S Lee  3 , Jared Inman  4 , Yadranko Ducic  2
Affiliations
Review

Free-Flap Reconstruction of the Tongue

Aurora Vincent et al. Semin Plast Surg. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

The tongue is paramount to natural speech and swallowing, and good tongue function is important in the overall quality of life. Autologous free-flap reconstruction of the tongue after glossectomy allows for adequate speech, swallow, and quality-of-life outcomes in a majority of patients. Herein, the authors review autologous free-flap reconstruction of the tongue with a focus on different flap options, speech and swallow outcomes, quality-of-life outcomes, and factors that affect how patients perform after tongue reconstruction.

Keywords: free tissue transfer; head and neck cancer; tongue reconstruction.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest None declared.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Treatment algorithm for defects of the tongue, tongue and pharynx, and tongue and mandible. ALT, anterolateral thigh flap.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Patient with a lateral oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. ( A ) Defect remaining after partial glossectomy. ( B ) Left radial forearm fasciocutanous free-flap harvest. ( C ) Free-flap inset and initial intra-oral free-flap appearance. ( D ) Tongue appearance 2 years after reconstruction and adjuvant radiotherapy. Notice the significant flap volume loss.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
( A ) Total glossectomy defect. ( B ) Harvest of the anterolateral thigh musculocutaneous free flap. ( C ) Neotongue immediately after flap inset. ( D ) Neotongue 1 year postoperatively.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. de Vicente J C, de Villalaín L, Torre A, Peña I. Microvascular free tissue transfer for tongue reconstruction after hemiglossectomy: a functional assessment of radial forearm versus anterolateral thigh flap. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2008;66(11):2270–2275. - PubMed
    1. Lam L, Samman N. Speech and swallowing following tongue cancer surgery and free flap reconstruction--a systematic review. Oral Oncol. 2013;49(06):507–524. - PubMed
    1. Hartl D M, Dauchy S, Escande C, Bretagne E, Janot F, Kolb F. Quality of life after free-flap tongue reconstruction. J Laryngol Otol. 2009;123(05):550–554. - PubMed
    1. Bokhari W A, Wang S J. Tongue reconstruction: recent advances. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007;15(04):202–207. - PubMed
    1. Nicoletti G, Soutar D S, Jackson M S, Wrench A A, Robertson G. Chewing and swallowing after surgical treatment for oral cancer: functional evaluation in 196 selected cases. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004;114(02):329–338. - PubMed