Folded Radial Forearm Free Flap for the Reconstruction of Total Soft Palate Defects: Operative Technique

Background:The surgical plan to reconstruct the palate must be carefully prepared given the morphological peculiarity of the soft palate forming both the roof of the mouth and the floor of the nasal cavity. This article focuses on the use of folded radial forearm free flaps to manage isolated defects of the soft palate in the absence of tonsillar pillar involvement. Methods:Three patients affected by squamous cell carcinoma of the palate underwent resection of the soft palate and immediate reconstruction with a folded radial forearm free flap. Results:All three patients showed good short-term morphological-functional outcomes as far as swallowing, breathing, and phonation were concerned. Conclusions:The folded radial forearm free flap seems to be an efficacious way to manage localized defects of the soft palate, given the positive outcomes of the three patients treated, and in accordance with other authors. In general, the radial forearm free flap was confirmed to be a versatile solution for those intraoral defects of the soft tissue requiring a limited quantity of volume as in the case of the soft palate.