Establishing A Virtual Planning Protocol for Functional Maxillomandibular Reconstruction in Oral Cancer Patients

Author Info

Narayana Subramaniam Krishnan Parthasarathi Kai Cheng David Leinkram Dale Howes James Wykes Sydney Ch’ng Tsu-Hui (Hubert) Low Carsten Palme Jonathan Robert Clark

Corresponding Author

Narayana Subramaniam
Sydney Head & Neck Cancer Institute, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Cancer Centre, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia

A B S T R A C T

Background: Virtual surgical planning (VSP) helps optimize vascularized bone flap reconstruction and dental rehabilitation in maxillomandibular defects, improving accuracy, reducing errors and reducing the time required for surgery. In this manuscript, we describe a robust but flexible virtual protocol for functional maxillomandibular reconstruction optimized for oral cancer patients using in-house digital planning and provide templates to streamline communication among the team members. Methods: Based on our previous experience of VSP in oral cancer (n=17), we derived a workflow to improve efficiency. It included a virtual surgical template and a protocol focused on the minimal time requirements for three different reconstructive approaches: prefabrication/prelamination, primary implant placement using the SM-ART approach, and digital planning without primary implant placement. We performed a prospective validation (n=4) to determine its validity and if the proposed timelines could be adhered to. Results: The protocol allowed a smooth and coordinated framework for team members to communicate and plan the patient’s treatment. The time period required for VSP was described for patients undergoing bony reconstruction with primary dental placement in those with and without custom plates, drill guides and for patients with prefabrication (Rohner’s procedure). The minimum time required for VSP ranged between 17 and 30 days. The protocol could be reliably applied to the prospective group without any modification. Conclusion: Bony reconstruction with primary dental implant placement in the context of oral cancer can be performed successfully with good functional outcomes. By adopting this protocol, virtual surgical planning can be performed efficiently, avoiding potentially costly delays in treatment.

Article Info

Article Type

Research Article

Publication history

Received: Tue 17, Aug 2021
Accepted: Thu 02, Sep 2021
Published: Wed 29, Sep 2021

Copyright

© 2023 Narayana Subramaniam. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Hosting by Science Repository.
DOI: 10.31487/j.COR.2021.09.04