Long-term results for maxillary rehabilitation with dental implants after tumor resection

Defects of the maxilla due to tumor extirpation can create accordingly high levels of psychological and physical trauma for patients and their families. However, the reconstruction of maxillary defects remains very challenging. Today, using autogenous bone grafts and dental implants is an effective method to restore maxillary defects.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of maxillary rehabilitation with dental implants after tumor resection. Patient satisfaction after maxillary reconstruction was also assessed with regard to function and comfort.

Over a 6-year period (2000-2005), 24 patients with maxillary tumors underwent resection with either immediate (n = 18) or delayed reconstruction or underwent prosthetic rehabilitation (n = 6).The patients received 88 implants in total, including 9 zygomatic and 79 conventional implants, for maxillary rehabilitation of the defective areas.

Autogenous bone grafts were successful in all patients, although partial loss of the graft was observed in one patient who received an iliac graft. Patient follow-up was started at the point of the prosthetic loading of implants. The median treatment time was 99.1 months (range:18-137 months). One patient died after 18 months of follow-up due to tumor recurrence, and two patients were lost to follow-up after 3 years of observation. Ten conventional dental implants were removed due to peri-implantitis. Six patients chose implant-supported obturators. The cumulative survival and success rates of the implants were 88.6 and 86.3%, respectively.

This study demonstrated that the rehabilitation of maxillary defects following tumor resection using implant-supported fixed prostheses with autogenous bone grafts or prosthetic rehabilitation is successful and is associated with high patient satisfaction. Oral function can be restored using dental implants for patients with maxillary defects.