Quality of Life after Mandibular Reconstruction Using Free Fibula Flap and Customized Plates: A Case Series and Comparison with the Literature

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The health-related quality of life was evaluated in 23 patients undergoing mandibular reconstruction with free fibula flap and titanium customized plates. A computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing technology were used. The University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire for head and neck cancer patients is a widely used and validated tool, which was self-completed by the patients after 12 months of surgery. In the 12 single question domains, the highest scores were obtained in the domains of taste, shoulder function, anxiety, and pain. The lowest scores corresponded to chewing, appearance, saliva, and mood. The global quality of life was rated as good, very good, or outstanding by 81% of patients. The present results compared favorably with previous studies of mandibular reconstruction using the same questionnaire published in literature. ABSTRACT: A single-center retrospective study was conducted to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in 23 consecutive patients undergoing mandibular reconstruction using the computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technology, free fibula flap, and titanium patient-specific implants (PSIs). HRQoL was evaluated after at least 12 months of surgery using the University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) questionnaire for head and neck cancer patients. In the 12 single question domains, the highest mean scores were found for “taste” (92.9), “shoulder” (90.9), “anxiety” (87.5), and “pain” (86.4), whereas the lowest scores were observed for “chewing” (57.1), “appearance” (67.9), and “saliva” (78.1). In the three global questions of the UW-QOL questionnaire, 80% of patients considered that their HRQoL was as good as or even better than it was compared to their HRQoL before cancer, and only 20% reported that their HRQoL had worsened after the presence of the disease. Overall QoL during the past 7 days was rated as good, very good or outstanding by 81% of patients, respectively. No patient reported poor or very poor QoL. In the present study, restoring mandibular continuity with free fibula flap and patient-specific titanium implants designed with the CAD-CAM technology improved HRQoL.