Three cases of one-stage reconstruction with a free forearm flap were reported. The first of three cases was a 61-year-old man and he had a 20×35mm primary cancer lesion in the left border of his tongue (T2NOM0). The second case was a 64-old-year old woman and she had 27×22mm primary cancer lesion in the right border of her tongue (T2N0M0). They received an operation for the partial resection of the tongue and mouth floor, and an upper neck dissection. The last case was a 51-old-year woman and she had 25×12mm primary cancer lesion on the mouth floor and a tumor invation to the mandible was observed by X-P (T4N0M0). She received an operation for the partial resection of her mouth floor, marginal resection of the mandible and a bilateral neck disection after radiotherapy.
We used a free-skin flap from the forearm to replace the loss of tongue and mouth floor. The flap was revascularized by anastomosing the radial artery and cephalic vein to facial vessels. Then, the flap was well revascularized and there were no functionary morbidities after the replacement of the flap. The donor-site defect was closed with a free skin graft.
We think, consequently, that the radial free forearm flap is ideal for intra-oral reconstruction, offering thin, pliable and predominantly hairless skin to replace oral mucosa.
