The inferior labial artery island flap

SummaryThe Abbe flap procedure has typically been indicated in cases of tissue defects of the upper lip after injury or tumour excision. However, this method requires two-stage reconstruction. In this report, we describe for the first time a novel one-stage reconstruction method using the inferior labial artery island flap. A 54-year-old man presented with a left upper lip defect and a scar contracture between the upper lip and the left cheek. We planned to reconstruct the lip defect using the inferior labial artery island flap. The inferior labial artery island flap was harvested with a vascular pedicle, and the vascular pedicle was returned through the inside of the flap. The flap survived completely, and liquid leakage from the lip and the appearance of the injured area were clearly improved. For this new technique, we converted the inferior labial flap to a vascular pedicled island flap, which increased its flexibility. This long vascular pedicle could be returned through the inside of the flap. Thus, this flap appears to be ideal for one-stage reconstructions of full-thickness upper lip defects.