Modified Stair-Step Flap With Turnover Flap for Drooling Correction After Lower Lip Composite Defect Reconstruction.

[BACKGROUND] Oral commissure and buccal complex defects are commonly seen after cancer ablation. Free flap reconstruction can offer adequate soft tissue volume and outer skin lining. However, oral incompetence often occurs when an oral commissure has defects, particularly when the patient receives postoperative radiotherapy. The purpose of this article was to describe our method of the modified stair-step technique and improve the oral competence.

[METHODS] This study involves 22 patients who had partial lower lip and/or upper lip defects and underwent flap reconstruction and/or postoperative radiotherapy resulting in oral incontinence. Fourteen patients had been treated with an anterolateral thigh flap, 7 patients had been treated with a radial forearm flap, and 1 patient had been treated with a fibular osteocutaneous flap. Our modified stair-step commissuroplasty was done in all cases, and a debulking procedure was done in each second operation.

[RESULTS] Acceptable oral continence and contour were achieved in 19 patients. Some patients still had drooling after their second operation, but it was considerably less than before.

[CONCLUSIONS] This technique is an easy procedure for revision of lower lip deformities after oral commissure reconstruction.