Objective To study the effectiveness of one-stage repairing pharyngeal defect with the tongue flaps after resection of advanced stage hypopharyngeal neoplasm and laryngeal neoplasm. Methods Between June 2006 and March 2011, 20 patients with hypopharyngeal neoplasm (8 cases) and laryngeal neoplasm (12 cases) with advanced stage were treated. There were 19 males and 1 female, aged 47-78 years (mean, 62.8 years). All neoplasms were squamous cell carcinomas. The disease duration was 1-8.5 months (mean, 3.9 months). According to the standards of International Union Against Cancer (UICC, 1987), 12 cases were in stage III and 8 cases were in stage IV. The size of pharyngeal defect was 5 cm × 2 cm to 4 cm × 4 cm after resection of tumor. Defects were repaired by the whole base of the tongue flaps in 16 cases and by the horizontal base of the tongue flaps in 4 cases. The size of the flaps ranged from 5 cm × 2 cm to 4 cm × 4 cm. Postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy were regularly performed. Results The 20 tongue flaps were alive. Healing of incision by first intention was achieved in 18 cases and delayed healing in 2 cases because of subcutaneous fluid. The patients were followed up 12-63 months (mean, 36.7 months). The patients had normal feeding ability and tongue function. Of 20 cases, 12 died and 1 of local recurrence was alive with tumor. The 3-year survival rate was 69.2% (9/13). Conclusion One-stage repair of pharyngeal defect with the tongue flaps after resection of hypopharyngeal neoplasm and laryngeal neoplasm can obtain good effectiveness because the tongue flap is easy-to-obtain and easy-to-survive, and has abundant blood supply.
Objective To study the feasibility, surgical techniques, and results of submental island flaps for reconstruction of hypopharyngeal noncircumferential defects. Methods A retrospective review of the archives was performed on 16 patients（6 males, 10 females, aged 41-78 years）who suffered from hypopharyngeal cancer. From August 1998 to August 2002, the patients underwent a partial removal of the hypopharynx and reconstruction by submental island flaps. Their hypopharyngeal carcinomas belonged to squamous carcinoma. Of the 16 patients (2 in UICC clinical stage Ⅱ, 11 in Ⅲ, 3 in Ⅳ), 9 had their pathologicalorigin in the pyriform sinus, 4 in the posterior pharyngeal wall, and 3 in the postcricoid. The flap area ranged from 8.0 cm×4.5 cm to 5.0 cm×3.0 cm. Results The follow-up for 3-7 years showed that the submental island flaps healed well in all patients with a success rate of 100%. The swallowing function returned to normal 1014 days after operation without complications of salivary fistula and infection. The 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 68.8% (11/16) and 62.5% (5/8), respectively. Conclusion Submental island flaps are convenient for reconstruction of hypopharyngeal noncircumferential defects, and they are safe and reliable, too.
Objective To explore the outcome of hypopharynx reconstruction by using remaining laryngeal mucosa flap and pectoralis major myocutaneous flap in advanced pyriform sinus cancer.Methods Twelve patients with pyriform sinus cancers underwent hemilaryngectomy and partial pharyngectomy, two patients underwentcervical esophagectomy at the same time. The defects were reconstructed by remaining laryngeal mucosa flap. Four cases were involved in the bilateral larynx, received total laryngectomy and were repaired by pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. Results There was no operative fatal case and all flaps survived. Only one suffered from postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistulas, whose defect was reconstructed by remaining laryngeal mucosa flap and had radiotherapy. All patients could swallow ordinary food and had no benign esophagostenosis and pharyngostenosis after operation. Out of 16 pateints, 1 case died of general metastasis;3 cases died of local tumor relapse, tumor relapse of cervical lymphonode and lung metastasis respectively within 1 year after operation; the other 12 casessurvived over 2 years.Conclusion The advantage of hypopharynx reconstruction with remaining laryngeal mucosa flap is simple and convenient with less trauma and complication. The reconstruction should be completed by using the pectoralis major myocutaneous flap when the bilateral larynx are involved in.