Management of major complications in surgical treatment of mandibular osteoradionecrosis by using vascularized free flaps

Abstract

Objective: To retrospectively analyze of the prevention and management of major complications in surgical treatment of osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the mandible by using vascularized free flaps and to provide a reference for improving clinical treatments. Methods: All cases diagnosed as mandibular ORN and received surgical treatment in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University from August 2014 to March 2019 were included. The patients' clinical data, mainly including general information, primary tumor, interval time between radiotherapy and osteoradionecrosis, surgical methods and postoperative complications, were collected. The data of surgical methods and postoperative complications of these patients were compared with the similar data of patients with malignant tumor surgically treated by using vascularized free flaps during the same period. Results: The postoperative follow-up data of 104 patients with mandibular ORN, who underwent surgery in our hospital, were collected. In the control group, surgeries of vascularized free flap transfer were performed in 430 patients with malignant tumor. Among the 34 ORN cases (34/104, 32.7%) of segmental resection with vascularized free flap transfer, there were 13 cases (13/34, 38.2%) of postoperative local infection in maxillofacial area, 6 cases (17.6%) of pulmonary infection, 2 cases (5.9%) of venous thrombosis, 3 cases (8.8%) of anastomotic artery rupture and 5 cases (14.7%) of vascular crisis. One case died of depression and misanthropy. Meanwhile, among 430 patients with malignant tumor who underwent surgeries of vascular free flap reconstruction, 25 cases (5.8%) had postoperative local infection and 29 cases (6.7%) had pulmonary infection. Vascular crisis occurred in 12 cases (2.8%) and anastomotic artery rupture in 1 case (0.2%). No venous thrombosis and misanthropy occurred. The incidence of postoperative complications in mandibular ORN was much higher than that of vascularized free flap transfer surgeries in malignant tumor cases (P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with patients with malignant tumors undergoing vascularized free flap transfer surgeries, patients with mandibular ORN undergoing same surgeries are more likely to have postoperative complications. This study may help clinicians to fully understand the local, general and psychological conditions during the perioperative period of ORN patients.