ORAL SUBMUCOUS FIBROSIS: RECONSTRUCTION WITH NASOLABIAL FLAP

Abstract

Objectives: The main objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of Nasolabial Flap in the reconstruction of oral submucous fibrosis.
Study Design: Case series
Place and Duration of Study: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Rawalpindi from Jan 2008 to Dec 2009.
Patients and Methods: A total of 5 patients with moderate to severe degree of oral submucous fibrosis were treated surgically and the reconstruction was done using bilateral nasolabial flaps. Four patients were male and one patient was female. The mean age of the patients was 24.6 years. Pre-operative mouth opening was measured before the procedure. Similarly per-operative and post operative mouth openings were also recorded and compared with the pre operative mouth opening.
Results: Pre-operative openings ranged from 8mm to 18mm (mean= 12.3mm). After 6 months of post operative follow up and vigorous physiotherapy exercises, patients were able to maintain mouth openings ranging from 32mm to 39mm (mean =34.5mm). Paired t-test was used to analyze the results and the value was found to be statistically significant. (p<0.05)
Conclusion: Bilateral Nasolabial flap is a satisfactory treatment modality for oral submucous fibrosis both functionally and esthetically.