[This retracts the article on p. S288 in vol. 7, PMID: 26015735.].

BACKGROUND Traditionally, restoration of extensive palatomaxillary defects have been achieved by prosthetic restoration, often with suboptimal functional results. More recently, vascularized bone-containing free flaps have been used for this purpose. OBJECTIVE To describe 6 patients who underwent palatomaxillary reconstruction using the composite iliac crest-internal oblique osteomusculocutan...

The rehabilitation of a maxillectomy patient involves meticulous treatment planning and designing. Lack of retention and facial support and limited mouth opening are the major issues that lead to functional and psychological trauma in post-maxillectomy patients. The successful rehabilitation of a maxillary defect includes restoring the function, esthetics, and a complete obturation of the defec...

Maxillofacial defects either congenital or acquired, lead to a marked loss of both the functional efficiency and aesthetic profile of the affected individuals. Plastic surgery and tissue reconstruction is the treatment of choice. However, in certain clinical scenarios, removable and/or fixed obturator prosthesis can be the only option available. The management of these critical cases should be ...

Dysphagia is a constant complication of subtotal reconstructive laryngectomy, due to modifications in the anatomy and in sensitivity of the larynx and pharynx. The reduced sphincteric activity of the larynx can enhance aspiration with a higher risk of pneumonia. In our opinion, the presence of the tracheotomy tube in the first weeks after surgery interferes with proper mobility of the laryngo-t...

As society ages the number of dysphagia patients and elderly people who cannot independently manage oral care will also increase. Maintaining or improving proper swallowing and oral functions is an important issue from the perspective of retaining quality of life (QOL) and motivation in living. Dysphagia patients are susceptible to aspiration pneumonia, and are also more likely to be malnourish...

It is well known that the massage therapy is useful for the rehabilitation of various diseases (i.e. oral health problems, etc.). Although various apparatus have been developed for the massage of the torso and limbs, there is still little knowledge about their real effectiveness. However; thanks to recent advances in robot technology (such as actuators, sensors, control system, etc.), more effe...

BACKGROUND The impairment of the appearance is a major problem for patients with carcinomas of the oral cavity. These patients want to recover their preoperative facial appearance. Some do not realize that this is not always possible and hence develop a desire for further cosmetic and reconstructive surgery (CRS) which often causes psychological problems. METHOD The desire of patients for CRS...