Prosthetic therapy of the lateral facial defect

Abstract

Introduction. Facial defects may arise as a result of head and neck trauma or facial tumor ablation. Minor defects can be reconstructed surgically while large defects usually need combined surgical and prosthetic reconstruction. The aim of this study was to present the prosthetic reconstruction of the lateral facial defect using facial colored acrylic prosthesis. Case Report. A male patient with a maxillary defect on the left side and a large lateral facial defect on the same side received an obturator prosthesis as well as a facial colored acrylic prosthesis (facial-orbit) retained by the glasses frame. Satisfied aesthetics was accomplished. However, the stability of the prostheses during mandibular movements could not be achieved which resulted in saliva leakage over the lips. Conclusion. Better functional and aesthetic outcome could be achieved by combined surgical and prosthetic treatment of such large facial defect.

Uvod. Defekti lica mogu nastati kao posledica povrede glave i vrata ili usled ablacije tumora predela lica ili okoline. Manji defekti se rekonstruišu hirurški, dok se velika oštećenja uglavnom rekonstruišu kombinovano, primenom hirurških i protetičkih metoda. Cilj rada je bio da se prikaže protetička rekonstrukcija lateralnog defekta lica facijalnom protezom od akrilata u boji. Prikaz bolesnika. Muškarcu s defektom levog dela maksile i velikim lateralnim defektom lica s iste strane izrađene su opturator- proteza i proteza lica (orbito-facijalna) od akrilata u boji retiniranom preko okvira naočara. Time je postignut zadovoljavajući estetski izgled, ali nije postignuta stabilnost pri kretnjama mandibule, s posledičnim curenjem pljuvačke preko komisure usana. Zaključak. Bolji funkcionalni i estetski ishod bi se mogli postići hirurško- protetičkom terapijom ovako velikog defekta lica.