Changes in Quality of Life After Secondary Closure of Palatal Defects: Prosthetic Obturation Versus Surgical Reconstruction. Issue 2 (14th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Ota, Tomoyuki; Takeda, Seiko; Mizukawa, Nobuyoshi; Kimata, Yoshihiro
• Is Part Of: Journal of craniofacial surgery. Volume 33:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 562
• Page End: 565
• Publication Date: 2022-03-14
• Subjects: Function -- palatal defect -- prosthetic obturation -- surgical reconstruction; Facial bones -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Skull -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Face -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Surgery, Plastic -- Periodicals; 617.52
• DOI: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000007969
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1049-2275

Abstract

Abstract : Background: The closure of palatal defects after tumor resection or irradiation is performed with either a prosthesis or autogenous tissue; however, there are no clear criteria regarding selection of the method. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the real-world situation and problems of palatal closure using prostheses, and examined patient opinion on how palatal closure using autogenous tissue improved their postoperative quality of life (QOL). Methods: In 5 patients whose palatal defects resulted from treatment for head and neck cancer and were closed with a prosthesis, the palate was closed secondarily with autogenous tissue; a questionnaire on daily life was administered pre- and post-operatively. Results: Functional improvements in terms of speech and eating were achieved in all and in 4 of 5 cases, respectively. In all cases, the QOL was better for palatal closure with autogenous tissue than with the prosthesis. Conclusions: As postoperative QOL was considered to be better when reconstructing the palate with autogenous tissue than with the prosthesis, we recommend to actively select autogenous tissue for palate reconstruction.