Janos Varga, Sandor Pinter, Mark Antal, Akos Varga, Lajos Kemeny, Katalin Nagy and Gabor Braunitzer
Upper lip defects caused by animal bites can result in serious oral and facial functional compromise. The management of such large defects in a way that an optimal functional and cosmetic outcome is reached remains a major reconstructive challenge. We present the upper lip reconstrucion of a 57-year-old woman who was attacked by her dog. The attack caused severe scalp and facial injuries, including a large upper lip defect. After initial trauma treatment, the lip defect was reconstructed by the combination of the Kazanjian and Abbé flaps. No venous circulation defect, wound healing problems or other complications were detected. After three months, sensory function of the area returned, and after 6 months the movements of the lip were satisfactory, the patient was able to pucker the lips, open the mouth and to eat. Beyond that, a cosmetically acceptable outcome was reached, so that the psychosocial reintegration of the patient was not at risk.We propose that combination of the Kazanjian and Abbé flaps offers an excellent alternative for the reconstruction of wide or total lip resections.
