Immediate free flap reconstruction following the resection of benign jaw lesions: A 15-year perspective

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ObjectivesTo report on outcomes of immediate free flap reconstruction following the resection of extensive benign jaw lesions. MethodsThis is a retrospective study on all patients who required free flap reconstruction after the ablation of benign jaw lesions and who were operated on by the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery department in a tertiary care centre in Hong Kong from 2004 to 2019. The primary outcome assessed is flap success. The secondary outcomes assessed are recipient site, donor site and other complications, number of days on nasogastric tube and dental rehabilitation. Results45 patients were treated. Primary ameloblastoma was treated in 26 patients and recurrent ameloblastoma in five patients. 41 out of 45 cases were successful. The most common complication was local infection, experienced by 11.1 % of patients. On average, each patient spent 8.8 days on nasogastric tube feeding post-operatively. There was a significant difference in the number of days the patient was kept on nasogastric tube between the group which experienced recipient site complications and the group which did not (p = 0.0218). Dental rehabilitation with implants or dentures was possible in two-thirds of the patients. ConclusionImmediate free flap reconstruction is feasible for the reconstructing defects resulting from the resection of benign pathology, demonstrating high success and the option of dental rehabilitation. Age is not a significant factor in post-operative complications. Preventing recipient site complications may promote earlier resumption of oral feeding.