Oromandibular reconstruction for oncological purposes

The authors compared different vascularized bone grafts in 15 patients with different oncological diagnoses that were treated with hemimandibulectomy in 9 patients, total mandibulectomy in 1 patient, resection of the mandible involving the anterior arch and the symphysis in 3 patients, 1 patient who underwent a segmental mandibular resection, and 1 patient in whom the enti re hemimandible was reconstructed because of mandibular hypoplasia diagnose d during the resection of a parotid neoplasm. The flaps used included fibul ar free flaps in 11 patients, iliac crest in 3 patients, and a radial forea rm osteocutaneous flap in 1 patient. Two patients had major complications a nd 1 patient experienced recurrence of the primary tumor. The fibular free flap was the preferred method in this series due to the size of the defect, which in most patients did not require extensive soft-tissue reconstructio n, and due to the nature of the bone defect involving the symphysis and con dyle in 9 patients. The different vascularized bone grafts provided adequat e osseous and soft tissue for oromandibular reconstruction.