What Researchers Did
Researchers used radical resection of the mandible with immediate microvascular reconstruction in six patients with advanced osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the mandible who had failed conservative treatment.
What They Found
All six patients healed primarily with minimal postoperative morbidity and excellent cosmetic results. Two patients subsequently required removal of some hardware, and one had osseointegrated implants placed with excellent functional and cosmetic outcomes.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients with extensive osteoradionecrosis of the mandible that has not responded to conservative treatments, this aggressive surgical approach could offer a more effective solution. It may lead to better functional and cosmetic outcomes, potentially reducing long-term care needs.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted elsewhere.
Study Limitations
A significant limitation of this study is the very small sample size of only six patients.