The use of the buccal fat pad flap for oral reconstruction

Min-Keun Kim, Wonil Han, Seong-Gon Kim, Min-Keun Kim, Wonil Han, Seong-Gon Kim

Abstract

Many congenital and acquired defects occur in the maxillofacial area. The buccal fat pad flap (BFP) is a simple and reliable flap for the treatment of many of these defects because of its rich blood supply and location, which is close to the location of various intraoral defects. In this article, we have reviewed BFP and the associated anatomical background, surgical techniques, and clinical applications. The surgical procedure is simple and has shown a high success rate in various clinical applications (approximately 90%), including the closure of oroantral fistula, correction of congenital defect, treatment of jaw bone necrosis, and reconstruction of tumor defects. The control of etiologic factors, size of defect, anatomical location of defect, and general condition of patient could influence the prognosis after grafting. In conclusion, BFP is a reliable flap that can be applied to various clinical situations.

Keywords: Buccal fat pad flap; Defect; Oral; Reconstruction; Wound epithelialization.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Anatomical location of the buccal fat pad. The buccal fat pad is composed of a main body and four extensions (temporal, buccal, pterygoid, and pterygopalatine)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Surgical procedure for the buccal fat pad flap. A blunt dissection is carefully performed without injuring the capsule overlying the fat pad. After the superficial fascia of the face was cut, the fat pad herniated spontaneously
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Closure of oroantral fistula by the buccal fat pad flap
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The application of the buccal fat pad flap (BFP) for the treatment of cleft palate. a BFP can be placed on the junction between the hard palate and soft palate to prevent possible palatal fistula. b BFP can be used for covering the raw bone surface after sealing the palatal flap
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
The application of the buccal fat pad flap (BFP) after tumor resection. BFP can be used with free bone graft for the reconstruction of the maxillary sinus wall

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