American Hospital Dubai Reports a Complex Jaw-Tumour Operation Using 3D Planning and Free-Flap Reconstruction

American Hospital Dubai says its surgeons removed a large recurrent jaw tumour and reconstructed the patient’s jaw in a single 12-hour operation. The account comes from Partner Content published on Gulf News by the hospital’s paid branded-content team, which means it is the hospital’s own description. We have not been able to confirm the details independently, and this article is not medical advice.

The case as the hospital describes it

• The tumour: an odontogenic myxoma, a rare benign tumour of the jaw, in the left mandible.
• The patient: a woman who had been treated for the tumour in the United Kingdom in 2000, with excision and curettage. A recurrence was spotted on an X-ray during a routine dental check, and the hospital confirmed it with imaging, a clinical assessment and a biopsy.
• The operation: a left hemimandibulectomy (removal of half of the lower jaw) that preserved the jaw joint (the condyle).
• Planning: 3D CAD/CAM virtual surgical planning for both the removal and the reconstruction.
• Reconstruction: immediate microvascular reconstruction using a free fibula flap, in which bone from the leg is used to rebuild the jaw.
• Duration: 12 hours.

The team

The hospital names Dr Hani Nachawati, Consultant Oral Surgeon and Implantologist, as the lead surgeon, working with Dr Dev S. Roy (ENT), Dr Luciano Tracia (plastic surgery) and a plastic surgeon identified only as Dr Ali. The hospital’s profile of Dr Nachawati describes him as a Germany board-certified consultant oral surgeon.

Outcome

According to the hospital, the operation and recovery went smoothly, and the patient achieved good functional and appearance results and is continuing to recover. No follow-up data have been published.

How to read this

The Gulf News article describes it as the first operation of its kind at the hospital, and not a medical first. Anyone with a medical question about jaw tumours or reconstruction should speak to a qualified clinician.