@article {WAGENBLAST2349, author = {JENS WAGENBLAST and MEHRAN BAGHI and MATTHIAS HELBIG and CHRISTOPH ARNOLDNER and SOTIRIOS BISDAS and WOLFGANG GST{\"O}TTNER and MARKUS HAMBEK and ANGELIKA MAY}, title = {Craniofacial Reconstructions with Bone-anchored Epithesis in Head and Neck Cancer Patients - A Valid Way Back to Self-perception and Social Reintegration}, volume = {28}, number = {4C}, pages = {2349--2352}, year = {2008}, publisher = {International Institute of Anticancer Research}, abstract = {Background: Patients with advanced head and neck cancer often require radical and mutilating surgery resulting in severe impairment of their aesthetic self-perception and social life. Cosmetically satisfying results associated with high aesthetic self-perception and social reintegration are possible with bone-anchored epithesis representing a serious alternative to craniofacial reconstructive techniques using regional and free tissue transfer. Patients and Methods: Five head and neck cancer patients treated in our Ear, Nose and Throat Department in the years 2003-2004 were evaluated after epithesial reconstruction. Results: Three out of the five patients scored self-perception after epithesial reconstruction as {\textquotedblleft}very good{\textquotedblright}, while social integration was scored as {\textquotedblleft}very good{\textquotedblright} by three and as {\textquotedblleft}satisfactory{\textquotedblright} by two patients. Daily getting along was scored as {\textquotedblleft}very good{\textquotedblright} by four and as satisfactory by one patient. One patient had a very good acceptance of the epithesis as a part of the body and for four patients it was satisfactory. Conclusion: For the first time, the high degree of satisfaction in head and neck cancer patients receiving epithesial reconstruction in the maxillofacial region is demonstrated. Copyright{\textcopyright} 2008 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved}, issn = {0250-7005}, URL = {https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/28/4C/2349}, eprint = {https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/28/4C/2349.full.pdf}, journal = {Anticancer Research} }