Facial Reconstruction Photos - Case #2733

This patient was a refugee from Sierra Leone. Amnesty International brought her to the United States with a large tumor on the right side of her face. This was not a malignant but a locally aggressive tumor that was growing rapidly and causing severe complications due to its growth. After having been told this was an inoperable tumor by several hospitals in the DC metro area, she presented for treatment. The CT scan shows the extent of the tumor including the skull, orbit, nose, and teeth. In a 21-hour operation, the tumor was completely removed and her face was reconstructed using bone grafts from her skull and muscle from her abdomen. She has had no recurrences in 18 years and has only required an additional upper jaw surgery to restore her occlusion because the tumor had caused significant distortion of the upper jaw position. You can learn more about this patient’s case on the video linked to our website.