Repair of Lip Defects with the Abbe and Estlander Flaps

Repair of lip defects with Abbe and Estlander flaps requires a thorough knowledge of lip anatomy and physiology in order to achieve a successful outcome. Both the Abbe and Estlander flaps are unipedicled lip flaps that transfer tissue from one lip to the other. The Abbe flap is extremely useful for repairing moderately sized defects of either lip but requires a second stage to divide the vascular pedicle. The Estlander flap is a “terminal” Abbe flap at either commissure and does not require a second stage. This chapter will discuss the technical details for the performance of these lip flaps.