33. Long-term Clinical Outcomes Following Free Fibula Flap Reconstruction of Maxillomandibular Defects with Immediate Dental Implant Placement

Abstract

PURPOSE: Immediate dental implant placement (IDIP) at the time of ablative/reconstructive surgery for maxillomandibular cancer is a novel technique that has yet to be evaluated for its long-term clinical outcomes. This study describes long-term clinical outcomes with IDIP in free fibula flaps (FFF) for oncologic head and neck reconstruction. METHODS: A retrospective review for patients who underwent oncologic FFF reconstruction of mandibular or maxillary defects with and without IDIP was performed. Average length of follow-up and complication rates over two time periods (1-2 years and 2+ years) were analyzed. Patients who were lost to follow-up, died, or have not reached the 1 year postoperative timepoint were excluded. The number of patients who achieved dental rehabilitation in the IDIP cohort was also examined. RESULTS: 99 patients received FFF reconstruction with IDIP, and 120 historical patients received FFF reconstruction alone. The average length of follow-up was significantly longer in the historical group (1498.9±1700.6 days vs. 565.4±397.9 days, p=0.0005). 63/99 IDIP patients achieved dental rehabilitation. There was no significant difference in the complication rates between the IDIP and historical cohorts in either 1-2 year or 2+ year time period. CONCLUSION: IDIP is an effective method for rapidly achieving dental rehabilitation in patients undergoing maxillomandibular reconstruction with FFF. Long-term complications in IDIP patients were not significantly different from the historical cohort. Further studies investigating patient satisfaction and quality of life scores with IDIP are warranted to elucidate the full benefits of this treatment.