Swallowing Function in Patients Who Underwent Hemiglossectomy: Comparison of Primary Closure and Free Radial Forearm Flap Reconstruction With Videofluoroscopy
- 1 May 2003
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Annals of Plastic Surgery
- Vol. 50 (5), 450-455
- https://doi.org/10.1097/01.sap.0000044147.09310.e8
Abstract
The swallowing function of patients who had undergone hemiglossectomy with either primary closure of the defect or radial forearm flap reconstruction was studied with videofluoroscopy. Patients with primary closure were unable to lift the tongue tip, had poor tongue-to-palate contact on initiating swallowing, had premature spilling of the bolus into the pharynx, had a large amount of barium stasis on the floor of the mouth, and had prolonged oral transit time. With flap reconstruction, patients easily could lift the tongue and make good contact with the entire palate. They were able to seal the posterior pharyngeal sphincter by elevation of the reconstructed tongue, approximating it to the soft palate, so that premature spilling of the bolus rarely happened. Their swallowing pattern was nearly normal. Although the reconstructed flap is nonfunctional, it provides bulk and helps the remaining tongue to complete the swallow. Compared with primary closure of the tongue defect, the authors suggest it is better to reconstruct it with a free radial forearm flap when more than 50% of the tongue is resected.Keywords
This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit:
- Primary Closure Versus Radial Forearm Flap Reconstruction After Hemiglossectomy: Functional Assessment of Swallowing and SpeechAnnals of Plastic Surgery, 2002
- Dysphagia following head and neck cancer surgeryDysphagia, 1994
- Secondary microvascular tongue reconstruction: Functional resultsHead & Neck, 1993
- Speech and Swallowing Function After Anterior Tongue and Floor of Mouth Resection With Distal Flap ReconstructionJournal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 1993
- Speech patterns following partial glossectomy for small tumors of the tongueHead & Neck, 1991
- Radiologic assessment of abnormal oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing.American Journal of Roentgenology, 1990
- Functional effects of intraoral reconstruction with a free radial forearm flapJournal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, 1990
- Lateral arm free flap in oral cavity reconstruction: A functional evaluationHead & Neck, 1989
- A Comparison of Three Methods of Oral ReconstructionJAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, 1987
- Swallowing Dysfunctions Associated with Radical Surgery of the Head and NeckArchives of Surgery, 1960