[One-stage repair of pharyngeal defect using tongue flaps after resection of advanced stage hypopharyngeal neoplasm and laryngeal neoplasm].

Objective: To study the effectiveness of one-stage repairing pharyngeal defect with the tongue flaps after resection of advanced stage hypopharyngeal neoplasm and laryngeal neoplasm.

Methods: Between June 2006 and March 2011, 20 patients with hypopharyngeal neoplasm (8 cases) and laryngeal neoplasm (12 cases) with advanced stage were treated. There were 19 males and 1 female, aged 47-78 years (mean, 62.8 years). All neoplasms were squamous cell carcinomas. The disease duration was 1-8.5 months (mean, 3.9 months). According to the standards of International Union Against Cancer (UICC, 1987), 12 cases were in stage III and 8 cases were in stage IV. The size of pharyngeal defect was 5 cm x 2 cm to 4 cm x 4 cm after resection of tumor. Defects were repaired by the whole base of the tongue flaps in 16 cases and by the horizontal base of the tongue flaps in 4 cases. The size of the flaps ranged from 5 cm x 2 cm to 4 cm x 4 cm. Postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy were regularly performed.

Results: The 20 tongue flaps were alive. Healing of incision by first intention was achieved in 18 cases and delayed healing in 2 cases because of subcutaneous fluid. The patients were followed up 12-63 months (mean, 36.7 months). The patients had normal feeding ability and tongue function. Of 20 cases, 12 died and 1 of local recurrence was alive with tumor. The 3-year survival rate was 69.2% (9/13).

Conclusion: One-stage repair of pharyngeal defect with the tongue flaps after resection of hypopharyngeal neoplasm and laryngeal neoplasm can obtain good effectiveness because the tongue flap is easy-to-obtain and easy-to-survive, and has abundant blood supply.