Table 1 Demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of facial-submental island flap for reconstruction of tongue defects following cancer ablation in young (< 45 years), middle-aged (≥ 45 to < 65 years) and elderly (≥ 65 years age) patients with early and middle stage oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma
|  | Young group (n = 18) No. of patients (%) | Middle-aged group (n = 63) No. of patients (%) | Elderly group (n = 41) No. of patients (%) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Age range, years (mean ± SD) | 23–44, 48.6 ± 8.69 | 45–64, 55.4 ± 9.6 | 65–90, 71.9 ± 13.9 | < .014 |
Sex | Â | Â | Â | .654 |
 Male | 10 (55.6) | 29 (46.0) | 25 (61.0) |  |
 Female | 8 (44.4) | 34 (54.0) | 16 (39.0) |  |
AJCC cancer stage | Â | Â | Â | .763 |
 Stage I T1N0 | 3 (11.7) | 8 (12.7) | 4 (9.8) |  |
 Stage II T2N0 | 11 (66.1) | 36 (57.1) | 22 (53.6) |  |
 Stage III (T3N0 + T3N1) | 3 + 1 (22.2) | 16 + 3 (30.2) | 13 + 2 (36.6) |  |
ACE-27 |  |  |  | .036※ |
 None | 14 (77.8) | 33 (52.4) | 8 (19.5) |  |
 Mild | 3 (16.6) | 18 (28.6) | 16 (39.0) |  |
 Moderate | 1 (5.6) | 10 (15.9) | 9 (22.0) |  |
 Severe | 0 (0.0) | 2 (3.1) | 8 (19.5) |  |
Neck dissection | Â | Â | Â | .789 |
 Selective | 14 (77.8) | 44 (69.8) | 26 (63.4) |  |
 Radical | 4 (22.2) | 19 (30.2) | 15 (36.6) |  |
Paddle size | Â | Â | Â | .862 |
 Range, median (cm) | 3 × 9–4 × 12, 3.6× 10.3 | 3 × 11–4 × 15, 3.8 × 13.6 | 3 × 10–5 × 13, 3.7 × 12.2 |  |
Successes (no. | 18 (100.0) | 61 (96.8) | 39 (95.1) | .783 |
Length of surgery | Â | Â | Â | .699 |
  < 120 minutes | 14 (77.8) | 45 (71.4) | 26 (63.4) |  |
  ≥ 120 minutes | 4 (22.2) | 18 (28.6) | 15 (36.6) |  |
Clavien-Dindo classification |  |  |  | .029※ |
 I | 4 (22.2) | 4 (7.9) | 1 (2.4) |  |
 II | 9 (50.0) | 23 (35.0) | 12 (29.3) |  |
 IIIa | 4 (22.2) | 26 (41.3) | 17 (41.5) |  |
 IIIb | 1 (5.6) | 6 (9.4) | 5 (12.2) |  |
 IVa | 0 (0.0) | 2 (3.2) | 3 (7.3) |  |
 IVb | 0 (0.0) | 2 (3.2) | 3 (7.3) |  |
Swallowing functions | Â | Â | Â | .664 |
 Normal | 10 (55.6) | 34 (54.0) | 20 (48.8) |  |
 Soft | 6 (33.3) | 21 (33.3) | 13 (31.7) |  |
 Liquid | 2 (11.1) | 8 (12.7) | 8 (19.5) |  |
Speech functions | Â | Â | Â | .559 |
 Normal | 11 (61.1) | 35 (55.6) | 19 (46.3) |  |
 Intelligible | 6 (33.3) | 22 (34.9) | 13 (31.7) |  |
 Slurred | 1 (5.6) | 6 (9.5) | 9 (22.0) |  |
Aesthetic outcome | Â | Â | Â | .564 |
 Excellent | 5 (27.7) | 20 (31.8) | 15 (36.6) |  |
 Good | 10 (55.6) | 37 (58.7) | 13 (58.6) |  |
 Fair | 3 (16.7) | 6 (9.5) | 8 (4.8) |  |
Adjuvant radiotherapy | Â | Â | Â | .846 |
 No | 17 (94.4) | 60 (95.2) | 39 (95.1) |  |
 Yes | 1 (5.6) | 3 (4.8) | 2 (4.9) |  |
Follow-up range, median (months) | 7 ~ 72, 35.8 | 7 ~ 80, 40.9 | 7 ~ 52, 32.6 | .682 |
Status | Â | Â | Â | .594 |
 Alive with no disease | 13 (72.2) | 45 (71.4) | 25 (61.0) |  |
 Alive with disease | 3 (16.7) | 12 (19.1) | 9 (22.0) |  |
 Died of disease | 2 (11.1) | 6 (9.5) | 7 (17.0) |  |