IMMEDIATE MANDIBULAR RECONSTRUCTION AND PLACEMENT OF DENTAL IMPLANTS - AT THE TIME OF ABLATIVE SURGERY

The outcomes of surgical reconstruction for patients who have undergon e extensive tumor resection of the mandible and associated soft tissue have been less than desirable for many reasons: lack of cancer cure, radiation problems, as well as inadequate functional reconstructive re sults. These patients traditionally have undergone multiple surgical p rocedures for restoration of the surgical deformity. With the advent o f new donor sites and successful transfer of microvascular hard and so ft tissue, one can restore the largest defects created during cancer e xcision. Combining these techniques with biocompatible dental implants and reconstructive bone plates, technology has advanced to the point of predictable outcomes. The restoration of appearance, mandibular fun ction, and mastication is mandated by patients. Dental implants are no w placed in vascularized bone reconstruction of the mandible immediate ly at the time of ablative surgery. This obviates the need for additio nal surgical reconstructive procedures, adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen t herapy, and problems associated with the placement of dental implants in irradiated tissue.