Maxillofacial Rehabilitation With Zygomatic Implants in an Oncologic Patient: A Case Report

Tumor ablation results in significant sequelae in the appearance, function, and esthetics of a patient with cancer, especially resection for head and neck cancer. Reconstruction with local and microvascular flaps is a workable option; however, the esthetic results will occasionally be unfulfilling and inadequate for the rehabilitation of lost structures. Prosthetic rehabilitation with conventional and zygomatic implants can provide favorable and predictable long-term results. We report the clinical case of a 53-year-old female patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). The treatment protocol included radical surgery, radiotherapy, and maxillofacial rehabilitation with conventional and zygomatic implants. Management of an ACC case requires a timely, radical, and multidisciplinary approach. In our patient, rehabilitation of masticatory function was accomplished in the immediate postoperative period and before radiotherapy. The rehabilitation of masticatory function improved the patient's systemic and nutritional status and her speech, with coverage of the esthetic defect. These outcomes reduced the psychological and emotional effects of tumor ablation.