ABSTRACT
The present case report describes the prosthetic management following partial loss of free-fibular osteocutaneous flap in an irradiated patient diagnosed with recurrent head and neck cancer. The patient presented with constant drooling of oral fluids due to an anatomically deficient lower lip. Salvage reconstructive surgery was not considered feasible due to past history of recurrence, multiple surgeries and radiotherapy, and financial constraints. An adhesive-retained interim silicone prosthesis was fabricated to alleviate the functional and psychosocial morbidity. The prosthesis served to restore the oro-facial seal to prevent constant drooling of oral fluids. It also aided in providing an excellent aesthetic solution to palliate the psychological suffering experienced by the patient due to lost facial contours.
ABSTRACT
Brachytherapy has been widely employed as a salvage or adjuvant modality in localized early and/or recurrent lesions. In recent years, advances in brachytherapy techniques have helped to achieve better loco-regional disease control and higher survival rates at the cost of limited morbidity. This is mainly owing to the development of technologically advanced three-dimensional computer planning systems and treatment delivery techniques. Low-dose-rate brachytherapy has been substituted by high-dose-rate and pulsed-dose-rate techniques, which allow better dose optimization. Inter-disciplinary approach results in fabrication of customized intra-oral surface mould, which allows accurate dose delivery, excellent dose distribution, and is less time-consuming. However, fabrication of surface mould becomes extremely challenging when intra-oral anatomic factors are unfavorable. We present a report on the management of a previously-irradiated completely edentulous patient with severe trismus for whom high-dose-rate surface mould brachytherapy had been prescribed. A unique, reliable, and practical solution has been presented based firmly on the scientific knowledge of contemporary implant dentistry.
