Mobilisation second surgery of the tongue following oral floor cancer surgery

• Published in: Oral surgery 2019-02, Vol.12 (1), p.45-47
• Main Authors: Boffano, P., Brucoli, M., Benech, A., Andreis, M., Machetta, G., Magnano, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ankyloglossia; Cancer; Dehiscence; Mouth; Oral cancer; Oropharyngeal cancer; Speech; Squamous cell carcinoma; Surgery; Swallowing; Tongue; treatment; tumour
• ISSN: 1752-2471; 1752-248X
• DOI: 10.1111/ors.12363

Swallowing and speech functions are often impaired after surgical resection of oral and oropharyngeal cancer. In particular, the extent of surgical resection, such as the resected amount of oral floor or tongue, the flexibility of the residual tongue, and the method of reconstruction have been implicated as the primary correlate of postsurgical swallowing and speech impairment in oral cancer patients. The surgical treatment of cancer of the floor of the mouth often implies a reconstruction by pedicled or free flap. A rare complication that can be encountered following such treatment is the attachment of the tongue to the floor of the mouth: it can be considered a sort of complete symptomatic ankyloglossia that leads to speech problems due to limited mobility of the tongue. The aim of this article was to report the management (a secondary dehiscence operation using artificial grafts) of a case of attachment of tongue to the floor of the mouth following the surgical removal of a squamous cell carcinoma of the oral floor with reconstruction by Pectoralis Major Myocutaneous Flap.