Bone Tumours
With increasing life expectancy, the incidence of tumours in the facial and jaw area is also on the rise. These often develop as a result of long-term exposure to harmful environmental influences and can occur in both the facial skin and the oral mucosa. The health and aesthetic consequences of bone tumours can be extremely distressing for those affected – which is why we attach great importance to providing you with the best possible support on your journey to recovery.
The Face – A Mirror of Our Identity
The human face plays a central role in our communication because it expresses our identity more than any other feature. It not only conveys our emotions, but also significantly shapes our appearance in our social environment. Tumour diseases such as basal cell carcinomas, melanomas or carcinomas of the oral mucosa can therefore have a particularly drastic effect, robbing the face of these wonderful characteristics and leaving those affected with a feeling of loss of identity.
Duration of the treatment
1–3 Hours
Fit for everyday life
After one week
Follow-up treatment
Suture removal and regular follow-up check-ups
Clinic stay
Outpatient
The most frequently asked questions
What are bone tumors, and how do they develop?
Bone tumors in the jaw area are growths that can arise from harmful environmental influences or other factors. They often occur in the facial skin or oral mucosa and can lead to both health and aesthetic impairments.
How are bone tumors in the jaw treated?
The best chance of recovery is provided by the surgical removal of the tumor. During this process, the affected tissue is completely removed and subsequently reconstructed using the body’s own material or metal plates. In some cases, additional chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be required.
How is reconstruction performed after tumor removal?
For larger tumors, tissue is taken from other parts of the body, such as the fibula or shoulder. This tissue is used to reconstruct the jawbone and surrounding structures. Metal plates provide stability, and vascular transplants ensure blood supply to the new tissue.
How long does the treatment and follow-up care take?
The surgical removal of a bone tumor typically takes 1–3 hours. Patients are usually fit for everyday life after about a week. Regular follow-up appointments and, if necessary, additional procedures are part of the aftercare.
What are the prognoses for bone tumors in the jaw area?
Tumors detected early have a recovery rate of up to 80 percent. With later diagnosis, the success rate decreases. Complete recovery depends on the tumor stage and the presence of possible metastases.
What are the goals of the treatment?
The treatment aims to restore the functionality of the jaw (speaking, chewing, swallowing) as well as the aesthetics of the face. Modern reconstruction techniques allow many patients to significantly improve their quality of life after rehabilitation.
Jaw Tumour Treatment – Restoring Function and Appearance
The best chances of recovery from jaw-related bone tumours are offered by surgical treatment. Unavoidable defects in the soft facial tissue or jawbone are reconstructed with soft tissue plasty and the patient’s own bone (e.g. jaw ridge augmentation) under functional and aesthetic aspects. The aim is to completely restore function and appearance.
Jaw tumour treatment is carried out exclusively by experienced specialists who will prepare an individual treatment plan for you based on comprehensive diagnostic examinations. Depending on the size, location and stage of the bone tumour, chemotherapy or radiotherapy may be necessary before surgery.
Our aim in treating your jaw tumour is to optimally restore both the functionality and aesthetics of the facial area. We not only remove the jaw tumour completely, but also do everything in our power to prevent it from recurring.
Jaw Tumour Surgery
Depending on the location and size of the tumour, surgical removal of a tumour from the jaw can be a complex operation. For smaller jaw tumours, the jawbone can often be preserved, while for larger jaw tumours, partial removal of the bone is necessary to ensure complete removal of the tumour.
Scientific studies clearly show that this radical approach significantly improves the chances of recovery from a bone tumour in the jaw. If other parts of the oral cavity are affected – for example, the tongue – these must also be treated surgically.
Before-and-after pictures
How Is Reconstruction Performed for a Bone Tumour in the Head?
For large tumours (e.g. bone tumours in the lower jaw) that require extensive removal of the jawbone, complex reconstructive surgery is necessary to restore the function and aesthetics of the face. For this purpose, bone, vessels, muscles and skin are taken from other areas of the skin (preferably from the fibula or shoulder) to restore a new jawbone and the surrounding structures.
For this purpose, bones, vessels, muscles, and skin from other areas of the body (preferably from the fibula or shoulder) are used to reconstruct a new jawbone and the surrounding structures.
A vascular graft is necessary to ensure the blood supply to the new tissue and thus guarantee the survival of the transplanted bone. Metal plates are usually used to stabilise the reconstruction. Depending on the size of the jaw tumour, several surgical procedures may be necessary.
Thanks to modern reconstruction procedures, most of our patients are able to speak and chew normally again after rehabilitation. Even if these functions sometimes have to be relearned, the advantages of the regained quality of life and reconstructed aesthetics clearly outweigh the temporary restrictions during the rehabilitation phase.
Prognosis After a Jaw Tumour
Exact figures regarding the chances of success and life expectancy after treatment for a jaw tumour are not yet available. While we can expect a cure rate of up to 80 percent for oral cavity cancer detected at an early stage, around 70 percent of those affected by a bone tumour in the jaw are only diagnosed at an advanced stage, which unfortunately reduces the chances of recovery accordingly.
A bone tumour in the oral cavity can be fatal if metastases have already formed in vital organs. Since a bone tumour in the jaw and its treatment are as individual as the people affected, we cannot provide any conclusive information regarding the duration and success of jaw tumour treatment.
The Surgery and Reconstruction for a Bone Tumour
Jaw tumour treatment usually takes place under general anaesthesia. During this procedure, the diseased bone parts are removed with a certain amount of healthy tissue in order to completely remove the tumour from the bone and thus prevent the jaw tumour from recurring.
Even if imaging techniques show no visible metastases, the neck lymph nodes are removed as standard procedure during the operation. This is because approximately 30 per cent of patients with a jaw tumour already have microscopic metastases that cannot be detected by conventional examinations.
Jawbone reconstruction usually takes place immediately after the removal of the jaw tumour. Where possible, the body’s own material is used and, if necessary, combined with metals or plastic.
The reconstruction has two objectives: firstly, essential functions such as breathing, eating, speaking and swallowing are to be restored. On the other hand, it is important to restore the face’s pleasing aesthetics. In most cases, the removal of the jaw tumour and the reconstruction of the face require two or more surgical procedures. If the bone tumour cannot be completely removed, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy are usually carried out after the operation.
Do you have questions? Contact us.
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"After the surgery, I finally see the person I’ve always been on the inside. My confidence has increased tremendously, and I no longer hide from the world. Thank you to the team."
Angela B., Aesthetic Surgery Patient
