One-sided soft palatal reconstruction with an anterolateral thigh fasciocutaneous flap: report of two cases.

Abstract

Soft palate reconstruction is one of the greatest challenges for reconstructive surgeons. In the last 2 decades, anterolateral thigh (ALT) flaps have emerged as a popular reconstructive option because of the low donor morbidity, replacing radial forearm (RF) flaps. For soft palatal reconstructions, however, the RF flap remains the option of first choice, and only a few reports have described soft palatal reconstruction using an ALT flap. At our hospital, ALT flaps were utilized in two cases with soft palatal tumors. During the operation, the nasal side was left unepithelized. To prevent infection of the perforators and pedicles, we dissected a muscle cuff for the perforators and positioned the perforators near the edge of the flap. The postoperative courses were uneventful, and the patients gained almost normal function. ALT fasciocutaneous flaps are a feasible option for soft palatal reconstruction.