Resumen de Health-related quality of life after mandibular resection for oral cancer: reconstruction with free fibula flap

Wenli Yang, Sanjun Zhao, Fei Liu, Minglei Sun

• Objectives: Mandibular resection for oral cancer is often necessary to achieve an adequate margin of tumor clear - ance. Mandibular resection has been associated with a poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL), particularly before free fibula flap to reconstruct the defect. The aim of this study was to evaluate health-related quality of life in patients who have had mandibular resections of oral cancer and reconstruction with free fibula flap.

  Study D esigns: There were 115 consecutive patients between 2008 and 2011 who were treated by primary surgery for oral squamous cell carcinoma, 34 patients had a mandibular resection. HRQOL was assessed by means of the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) question - naires after 12 months postoperatively.

  Results: In the UW-QOL the best-scoring domain was mood, whereas the lowest scores were for chewing and saliva. In the OHIP-14 the lowest-scoring domain was social disability, followed by handicap, and psychological disability.

  Conclusions: Mandible reconstruction with free fibula flap would have significantly influenced on patients' quality of life and oral functions. The socio-cultural data show a fairly low level of education for the majority of patients.