A new flap design for reconstruction of full-thickness defects of the lower lip: The extended upper lip island (EULI) flap

The extended upper tip island (EULI) flap has two advantages. It provides a wide mucosal surface, like that of the facial artery musculomucosal flap and does not leave a pedicle across the mouth. Aesthetic results with the EULI flap are almost as good as those with the cross-lip flap. An 89-year-old woman presented with squamous cell carcinoma of the tower oral vestibule. Full-thickness lower tip resection and marginal mandibutectomy, including resection of the surrounding gingiva and mucosa, were performed. The defect was reconstructed with an EULI flap that included the facial artery and vein. There were no severe postoperative complications, but two mild complications did occur: mild congestion of the distal end of the skin paddle and mucosa for two days after surgery and partial paralysis of the orbicularis oris and levator anguli oris muscles. The EULl flap is useful for extended lower tip reconstruction. (c) 2006 The British Association of Plastic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.