With the development of microsurgical procedures, various techniques
aimed at grafting free vascularized tissue into the remnant of the tongue have
been widely attempted. Even so, current reconstruction techniques that yield
satisfactory results in the treatment of tongue cancer are far from effective.
Aim of the work: To assess results of a new method of surgical
reconstruction of the tongue after hemiglossectomy, with reinnervated rectus
abdominis musculoperitoneal flaps which consisted of the rectus muscle,
posterior rectus sheath, peritoneum, the 10
th
, 11
th
and 12
th
intercostal nerves,
and the deep inferior epigastric artery and veins.
Patients and methods: Eleven patients, eight males and three females
their age ranges from 48 – 60 years underwent immediate reconstruction of the
tongue with rectus abdominis musculoperitoneal flaps after hemiglossectomy.
The flaps with their intercostals nerves were transplanted during the same
operative procedure. The flaps ranged from 8 x 5 x 2 cm to 10 x 7 x 2.5 cm in
size and were adjusted to the defect of the tongue. The intercostal nerves were
anastomosed to the cut end of the descending branch of the hypoglossal nerve
and the deep inferior epigastric vascular pedicles were anastomosed to
appropriate vessels in the upper neck.