Hi, Dr. Phan. I thank you for responding in such a thoughtful, professional manner. My surgeon and my prosthodontist work hand in hand on many things, including these reconstructions. At any rate, I will certainly let them have time to "practice" lots more before they operate on me!

I do have excellent speech now, exc. for not being able to secure the appliance well. I think that to do that, I will try the crowns with the attatchment on the back side and see if I can get satisfaction for many of the issues that are bothersome.

My surgeon only began doing these reconstructions during the past year (He is nationally known, but he is also fearless.) To give him credit, my surgery is gorgeous, with no external incisions and no problems with rejections of the alloderm graft.

At the time of my surgery, just 1 yr. and 4 months ago, he said that any consideration of reconstruction would have to wait a long time...years.....to be sure that I didn't have a recurrence. Now, just a year later, he is talking reconstr. He says that the PET scans are so much more sensitive than visual exams that he could pick up any problem with PET before he could see it, and that, besides, he feels that my original lesion is gone and that there is no particular reason to expect that I will have another primary.

I would love to have the opening in my palate closed. I am learning to live with it, and if I can get the appliance to be secure, I will probably be content with that. I do need to explore the issues involved with the surgery, however, so that I can make an informed decision. I am 63, and if I wait too long, then I won't be young enough to feel that it is worth it.

The idea of interfering with my perfect healing, and being in another recovery period voluntarily, and possibly having a rejection...or nerve damage from the surgery..,,or a leg problem from the harvest of the fibula......are daunting considerations. EEK!

I will send you a photo from the internet that shows a picture very similar to my own surgical result. thanks.