Do tongue prosthetics exist?

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Two prosthetic tongues can be made, one for phonetics and the other for swallowing. The tongue made for phonetics is somewhat flat, with a slightly wide anterior elevation to aid in articulation of linguo-alveolar sounds ‘t’ and ‘d’ and to aid in shaping the oral cavity for improved vowel production.

What is a tongue flap?

The tongue flap is a robust, versatile flap that can be used for reconstruction of oral, pharyngeal, and perioral defects of congenital, traumatic, and ablative origin. The rich blood supply and ease of use make the tongue flap a reliable and predictable reconstructive technique for indicated defects.

Can a tongue be reconstructed?

Reconstructive surgeons can repair soft tissue in parts of the tongue, the lining of the mouth, and the lips using a portion of skin called a graft. Grafts may be taken from the abdomen or leg and used to repair small portions of the mucosa, which is the lining of the mouth.

Can a tongue be reattached?

A cut or tear to the tongue can bleed a lot. Small injuries may often heal on their own. If the injury is long or deep, it may need stitches that dissolve over time. If a piece of your tongue was cut off or bitten off, it may have been reattached.

What is palatal flap surgery?

In raising the palatal island flap, incisions are made according to the amount of donor tissue required to resurface the oral defect. Incisions can be made at the junction of the hard and soft palate and within 5 mm of the dentition.

How long does it take to recover from tongue reconstruction?

Recovery Time Patients have been found to regain mobility of the tongue immediately at 4 to 6 months after surgery, with subsequent improvement in swallow ability.

Can you talk after tongue removal?

When part of the tongue is removed, it can be hard to speak and be understood by others. The Speech-Language Pathologist will assess your ability to speak clearly. Sometimes people need only a few speech therapy sessions, while others may need to learn other methods to communicate such as computers or gestures.

Can you talk with a partial tongue?

Will it affect my speech? The effects on your speech will depend on how much of your tongue has been removed. It can take a few months for your tongue to recover. With exercises and careful attention to speech, most people find they can be clearly understood when talking and can also manage to use the telephone well.

What happens when tongue is removed?

After this surgery your speech and swallowing may be severely affected. Generally, the more tongue that is taken out because of the tumour, the harder it will be to swallow and speak clearly. After a glossectomy, there may be a lot of swelling in your throat. Swelling could block the air passage.

What is a tongue flap used for?

Should tongue flaps be applied in clinic for pharyngeal defect?

Tongue flaps are obtained easily, with enough blood flow, adapted to pharyngeal environment, easily alive and low complication in repairing the pharyngeal defect. We think that these tongue flaps should be applied in clinic.

How is the tongue of a resected mouth treated?

Introduction Patient’s whose floor of the mouth has been resected usually undergo immediate reconstruction with local flap, skin graft, distant flap or micro vascular free tissue transfer. Although the shape of the tongue can be more or less built.

What are the outcomes of tongue reconstructions?

Main Outcome Measures Speech intelligibility, swallowing, interval to decannulation, length of stay, free-flap success rates, patient survival, and complications. Results Thirty patients underwent oral tongue reconstructions, and 13, tongue base reconstructions.