Survival and functional outcomes of patients who underwent facial-submental artery island flap reconstruction after oral cavity or HPV-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma ablation

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of survival and functional outcome of patients with Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) and HPV-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-negative OPSCC) using FSAIF reconstruction of the defects. The 275 patients were divided into OCSCC and HPV-negative OPSCC group were treated with surgery and oral cavity and oropharynx reconstruction with the FSAIF. The skin paddles in the OCSCC and OPSCC groups were 3 × 9 to 5 × 14 cm and 3 × 8 to 5 × 15 cm, respectively. The original primary tumor site was the oral cavity in 203 patients and the oropharynx in 72. No significant differences TNM or clinical stage, skin paddle of the flap, rate of flap failure, or local complications were observed between the OCSCC and HPV-negative OPSCC groups. Ten flap failures occurred, yielding a success rate of 96.4%. There are not differences of survival and speech function of patients with OCSCC and HPV--negative OPSCC using FSAIFs reconstruction of the defects following cancer ablation, but there are differences of the swallowing function. This flap is suitable for reconstructing the defect in the oral cavity or oropharynx.