N. Nagaprasad Nangineedi1 , Rangaswamy Gurram2 , G. Chandana Guduru3 , Swathi Gagganatham4 , Banu Priya Gurenti 5 , Karthik Gowda6
BACKGROUND Lateral Forehead flap is very versatile as it is a good option for reconstruction of different types of nose and oral cavity defects and helps in an optimal, aesthetic, and functional result. METHODS This is a retrospective study conducted in the Department of Plastic Surgery among 25 cases with the indication of forehead flap from May 2017 to May 2018. Information was sourced from patient’s case notes and operating theatre register. RESULTS Highest number of patients belonged to fourth and the fifth decade. The most common location of tumour was in the buccal mucosa seen in 48 % followed by alveolus GBS complex constituting 20 % followed by angle of mouth 16 % and maxilla in 16 %. Wide excision with adequate margin was done in 16 cases. Marginal mandibulectomy was done in 20 % and marginal maxillectomy in 16 %. Supra-omohyoid neck dissection was the most commonly done procedure constituting 20 % of all the neck dissections followed by modified neck dissection type II in 48 % cases. The smallest size of flap was 6 x 7 cms and the largest was 14 x 7.5 cm. The complication rate was also very less with tip necrosis in minor cases. 3 cases of post irradiation tumour resection defects (11) were reconstructed with this flap. There was no loss of the flap in our study. CONCLUSIONS Lateral forehead flap is ideal for reconstruction of oral cavity defects, defects of maxillary antrum, cheek defects and angle of the mouth defects. It is also useful in post radiotherapy patients where there is deficiency of recipient vessels, fibrosis of vessels.
