Prosthetic Rehabilitation of Orofacial Donor Site Fistula Following Surgical Reconstruction: A Clinical Report

Abstract

Orofacial defects can be either congenital or acquired. Rehabilitation of these patients can be done using a surgical and/or a prosthetic approach. In situations where surgical reconstruction is not possible, prosthetic management becomes the only option. This clinical report describes a simple, economical, and effective technique for the prosthetic rehabilitation of a patient with oro-cutaneous fistula due to donor site dehiscence following tumor defect reconstruction.

December’s 2022 Full Issue PDF

“…Although the decision was made to monitor and not address the extraoral component of the patient's defect at this time, prosthetic rehabilitation of orofacial fistulas have been described in the literature and shown to be successful in sealing the oral cavity from the extraoral environment. Kumar et al (2008) described the treatment for an orofacial fistula with an acrylic facial plug prosthesis relined with soft liner to provide an adequate seal during function and secured with circumferential head straps. 19 In our case, once the extraoral soft tissue architecture is more stable in the future, the decision to fabricate a facial prosthetic component will be considered.…”

“…Kumar et al (2008) described the treatment for an orofacial fistula with an acrylic facial plug prosthesis relined with soft liner to provide an adequate seal during function and secured with circumferential head straps. 19 In our case, once the extraoral soft tissue architecture is more stable in the future, the decision to fabricate a facial prosthetic component will be considered. The patient has been monitored for 5 months since the delivery of the prosthesis without any need for adjustments.…”

Prosthetic Management of Patients With Oro-Maxillo-Facial Defects: A Long-Term Follow-Up Retrospective Study

“…In addition, surgical reconstruction may be limited by general medical condition, insufficient residual tissue, vascular compromise subsequent to radiation, age, inadequacy of the donor sites, or patient preference. It is not always possible to reconstruct the defect with a surgical approach (11). In these cases, prosthetic rehabilitation become the first choice treatment (12).…”