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 entire hemimandible was reconstructed because of mandibular hypoplasia diagnosed during the resection of a parotid neoplasm. The flaps used included fibular free flaps in 11 patients, iliac crest in 3 patients, and a radial forearm osteocutaneous flap in 1 patient. Two patients had major complications and 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 reconstruction, and due to the nature of the bone defect involving the symphysis and condyle in 9 patients. The different vascularized bone grafts provided adequate osseous and soft tissue for oromandibular reconstruction.