One stage reconstruction of large lower lip carcinoma, with local flaps

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lower lip is a frequently diagnosed malignant pathology in the maxillofacial region. It is a slow-growing cancer, and can be diagnosed and treated easily and effectively; however, early treatment is important because its mortality rate is 10%-30%. Reconstruction for a large lower lip defect is surgically challenging, especially reconstruction with local flaps. Here, we present a 52-year-old male with a large T3 SCC, which started 13 years before this treatment and involved nearly all of his lower lip, oral commissure and upper lip. It was reconstructed by local flaps with good aesthetic and functional results. The lip was reconstructed with a combination of a Karapandzic flap on one side and a contralateral Webster cheek advancement, using a functional neck dissection on the tumor side and supraomohyoid neck dissection contralaterally. Histopathology results of the neck were negative for metastasis. We were satisfied with the aesthetic and functional results of the neck.