PATTERN OF MAXILLOFACIAL REHABILITATION IN A NIGERIAN TERTIARY HOSPITAL

Pattern of maxillofacial rehabilitation

Abstract

Objective: To to assess maxillofacial defects, etiology of the defects, the types prothesis and the design of prosthesis provided at a Tertiary Health Institution in Nigeria.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of all patients who received maxillofacial rehabilitation at the prosthetic unit of University of Benin Teaching Hospital over a 5-year period. The data of interest retrieved from the patients’ register and record notes include demographic characteristics (age, gender, and states of origin), arch involved, type of defect, type of surgery received, tumour type and type of obturator provided.

The retrieved data was analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 and result presented as frequencies and tables. Chi square was used to compare relevant variables

Results: The patients’ age ranged from 13 to 76 years with a mean age of 43.52±17.9 years with higher proportion of males (52.0%) than females (48.0%) with a male: female ratio of 1.08:1. All the defects that had maxillofacial prothesis provided, for were surgical defects with more in the maxillae (76.0%) than the mandible (24.0%). Hemi maxillectomy 18 (72.0%), accounted for most of the surgeries done followed by segmental mandibulectomy with reconstruction plate 3(12.0%), others include hemi – mandibulectomy with reconstruction plate 2(8.0%) and total maxillectomy 2 (8.0%).

Conclusion: Maxillary defects were majorly surgical as a result of maxillary benign tumours and rehabilitation was done using surgical and definitive obturators.