Application of degradable polymeric implant materials for defect coverage after tumor surgical resection in the upper aerodigestive tract – fiction or reality?

The closure of defects after tumor surgical resection in the upper aerodigestive tract with absorbable, polymeric implant materials instead of skin muscle flaps would represent a novel therapeutic option in oncological head and neck surgery. Successful coverage of the defect with polymeric implant materials would result not only in shorter operating times and a reduction in surgical mortality, but also in improved swallowing and speech function compared with the functional results achieved to date with the use of skin muscle flaps. In 11 tumor surgical resections of T1 and T2 tongue margin carcinomas to date, coverage of the defect zone with Suprathel was performed as an off-label use. Suprathel​ is an innovative biodegradable microporous membrane approved for alloplastic skin replacement for the treatment of epidermal and dermal wounds. Suprathel​ has comparable properties in terms of elasticity, water vapor permeability and bacterial impermeability. According to clinical experience to date, Suprathel​ has sufficient chemical, enzymatic and bacterial stability in the oral environment. All patients showed rapid, problem-free wound healing with very good articulation and swallowing ability. Postoperative rebleeding did not occur in any patient. The hydrolytic degradation of the material to lactate appears to promote the cellular wound healing environment via the pH shift and to stimulate tissue regeneration. In a next step, the application of Suprathel​ (a CE/FDA approved medical device in the same application spectrum as Suprathel​) will be validated in larger studies in the oral cavity and the pharynx.

Publication History

Article published online:
12 May 2023