Outcome Analysis of Advanced Oral Cancers Requiring Large Composite Fibular Osteocutaneous Flap Reconstruction: Experience From a Tertiary Care Cancer Hospital

Background: Advanced oral cancer entailing extensive resection of large parts of the mucosa, bone, and skin require reconstructions with composite free flaps. Our aim was to analyze the outcomes of those oral squamous cell carcinomas requiring fibular osteocutaneous free flaps with large skin defects.

Methods: Perioperative course and histopathological and survival outcomes of 246 consecutive patients warranting composite fibular flaps from January 2010 to June 2015 at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India, were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Despite majority of T4 disease (88.2%) and stage IV disease (92%) patients, the 5-year overall survival was 52.1% and the 5-year recurrence-free survival was 48.6% with a median follow-up of 42 months with minimal complications.

Conclusions: Reconstruction with composite fibular osteocutaneous flaps has comparable outcomes of survival with acceptable complications in mega oral squamous cell carcinomas requiring extensive resection.