Costs and complications in mandibular reconstruction

Because of increasing concerns about the high cost of complex medical care, we compared the combined cost of ablation and reconstruction incurred using five different management strategies for patients undergoing mandibular resection. We also compared the rates of complication and failure for the methods used. The records of 69 patients undergoing segmental or total mandibulectomy between January 1, 1986, and June 30, 1990, were reviewed. Of these, 15 had reconstruction with soft tissue only (average cost, $36,137; complication rate, 33%), whereas 20 had immediate reconstruction with vascularized bone (average cost, $46,894; complication rate, 50%), and 15 had reconstruction with only a metal plate (average cost, $47,678; complication rate, 73%). Nine patients had plate reconstructions initially but subsequently underwent reconstructions with bone (average cost, $54,346; complication rate, 78%), whereas 10 patients had no initial reconstruction but subsequently underwent delayed reconstruction with bone (average cost, $52,486; complication rate, 70%). If reconstruction was performed with bone, immediate reconstruction was more cost effective than delayed reconstruction and had a lower complication rate as well.