WOW! Debbie, what an ordeal! Thank you so much for sharing it. EEK! I am so sorry that YOU had to be the one with the failed surgery.

Did you have to have radiation at any point in your treatment?

Was the vessel that burst the one that was harvested from your back and inserted into your neck?

This is a scary story, for sure.

I wonder if there is something that they can use to stimulate bone growth. I know that there are products in use now that involve ground bone, and bone marrow, mixed with artificial elements, and, when used in certain applications, can stimulte bone growth. I'm sure your doctors know better than I do what is possible. I am a great one for wondering "if" and "why not."

Thank goodness you are cancer-free. I read some of your other posts, and it seems that you lost two teeth and the bone that went with them. Is that right? Is it your wisdom tooth that now is trying to come out? That's too bad, since that would be the anchor tooth for any appliance or bridge. Is there no type of filler that could stimulate re-ossification of that socket, so that you could, down the line, have an implant installed?

Mike and Jerry.....Am I making things up here?? probably.....

I have lost five teeth and the bone that went with them....would have been six, except that I had already lost the wisdom tooth. I think that the upper jaw....the maxilla...is easier to work with since it does not move and has all of the facial bones to work with in reconstruction.

That's my story and I am sticking to it! I want to believe that, so I will!! I hope it's true.

Nobody has responded who has had maxillary reconstruction. The leg issues would be the same, but the oral part of the surgery would be different in many ways. I guess you are still installing bone and tissue, and connecting an artery in your neck to keep the graft alive. All of that is the same.

Malka...you mentioned the desire to have dental implants....My prosthodontist has said that I cannot have actual dental implants..but that the implants that he will install are for to secure a dental appliance....like a bridge, exc. that there are no teeth to hold a bridge. This way, the appliance does not have to clip onto ANY teeth.

I will continue to listen and gather information. Debbie, thanks for sharing your story. I wish you the best. I hope that you get solutions for your problems.