Oral Biol Res.  2026 Mar;50(1):2. 10.21851/obr.26.001.

Reconstruction of a partial maxillectomy defect using a pedicled buccal fat pad flap in an elderly oral squamous cell carcinoma patient

• Kang SY
• Choi MH
• Kim SG

• KMID: 2579825
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.21851/obr.26.001

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the oral cavity, with rising incidence among patients of advanced age. We present the case of a 90-year-old woman with OSCC of the left posterior maxilla, treated by mass excision followed by immediate reconstruction using a pedicled buccal fat pad (BFP) flap. The flap provided reliable coverage, demonstrated robust vascularity, and achieved complete epithelialization within 6 weeks. Postoperative healing was uneventful, with no evidence of infection, necrosis, or other complications. This case underscores that, even in patients of advanced age, surgical excision combined with BFP reconstruction—when guided by individualized clinical decision-making and consideration of significant geriatric constraints such as frailty and limited anesthetic tolerance—can yield predictable functional outcomes while minimizing operative time and morbidity.

Keyword

Aged; Carcinoma, squamous cell; Maxilla; Plastic surgery procedures; Surgical procedures, operative