Usefulness of a Reconstructive Method for Oropharyngeal Defect Including the Larger Soft Palate with the Bent Anterolateral Thigh Flap

For soft palate defects of less than two-thirds, a velopharyngoplasty using lateral and posterior pharyngeal flaps called the “Gehanno method” is suggested as one of the most reliable techniques.[1] However, for larger-sized soft defects the lateral pharyngeal flap cannot be sutured to the nasal soft palate, so this method cannot be simply applied to soft palate defects of more than two-thirds.

We modified the Gehanno method and applied it to soft palate defects of more than two-thirds and treated eight patients using the new method, examining their outcomes and complications after 6 months postoperation.

• References

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