Assessment of quality of life of patients with oral cavity cancer who have had defects reconstructed with free anterolateral thigh perforator flaps

The aim of this study was to evaluate quality of life (QoL) in patients who have had resections of oral cancer and reconstruction by free anterolateral thigh perforator flaps. QoL was assessed by the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and the University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QoL) questionnaires 12 months postoperatively.Fifty-one of the 69 questionnaires were returned (74%). In the UW-QoL the best-scoring domain was pain, whereas the lowest scores were for chewing, saliva, and taste. In the OHIP-14 the lowest-scoring domain was handicap, followed by psychological disability, and social disability. Free anterolateral thigh perforator flaps for reconstruction of defects of the head and neck after resection for cancer significantly influenced the patients’ quality of life.