Oral reconstruction, especially with lower lip defects greater than 80% of the lip, is still challenging for plastic surgeons. Webster technique is mostly used for lower lip defects greater than 80% of the lip; however, resulting scars in the chin area (Schuchardt flap, a half-circle scar) are relatively conspicuous in Asian populations because of the trapdoor deformity. On the other hand, Johanson staircase flap technique, which is used to reconstruct lower lip defects of up to two thirds of the lip, results in relatively inconspicuous scarring and prevents trapdoor deformity. Thus, instead of Schuchardt flaps, we designed staircase flaps with a Webster technique. Two patients with lower lip carcinoma were operated on using this new technique. Large triangles of the skin and subcutaneous fat were removed from the nasolabial folds, and small staircases were removed from the lower lip to allow medial movement of the cheek tissues. The cosmetic and functional results were improved from the original Webster technique.
From the Departments of *Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, †Dermatology, and ‡Head and Neck Surgery, Saitama Cancer Center, Saitama; and §Department ofPlastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
Received May 20, 2011, and accepted for publication, after revision, November 21, 2011.
Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: none declared.
Reprints: Atsumori Hamahata, MD, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Saitama Cancer Center, 818 Komuro Inamachi Kitaadachigunn, Saitama, Japan. E-mail: a.hamahata@gmail.com.
