Varanasi: A BHU surgical team gave a 35-year-old man a new lease of life by removing a massive tumour from his lower jaw and reconstructing it with bone harvested from his right leg in an eight-hour complex procedure.The patient, a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri who works as a washerman at a vehicle company, had been suffering from ameloblastoma, a tumour of the jaw, for nearly seven years. The condition had caused significant facial swelling and asymmetry, leaving him socially uncomfortable and hesitant to interact with people.He reported to the OPD of Prof Akhilesh Kumar Singh with a large tumour in the mandible that had distorted the normal facial contour and appearance of the jaw. After seeking treatment at several places without permanent relief, he was advised to come to the oral and maxillofacial surgery unit of the Faculty of Dental Sciences.The complex surgery was led by Prof Singh. The surgical team included Prof Naresh Kumar Sharma, Dr Shweta, Dr Ashutosh Arya, Dr Anshu and Dr Poonam Yadav. From the department of anaesthesia, Prof Yashpal Singh, Dr Tanvi Anand and Dr Deepak played key roles during the operation.Prof Singh said the eight-hour procedure was performed at the OMFS operation theatre of the Trauma Centre. During the surgery, the tumour-affected portion of the mandible was removed, and fibula bone from the patient’s right leg was harvested to reconstruct the jaw.Using microvascular surgical techniques, the blood vessels supplying the fibula bone were connected to blood vessels in the neck to restore circulation in the reconstructed jaw. The procedure is known as microvascular free fibula flap reconstruction.Following the surgery, the patient’s facial symmetry and jaw contour returned to near normal. He did not experience significant weakness in his leg and was able to walk normally and resume routine activities.
