Single-stage jaw reconstruction for oral cancer: feasibility and clinical outcomes

The “jaw-in-a-day” technique (JIADT) or single-stage jaw reconstruction is a well-established concept that allows for early bone reconstruction with the incorporation of implants and a dental prosthesis in a single-stage operation. Its use in patients with cancer who require adjuvant radiotherapy has been fraught, with concerns like an increased risk of complications, healing issues causing a delay in radiotherapy, and financial toxicity. In this study, we present the largest cohort of patients with oral cancer (N = 10) who underwent the JIADT to determine feasibility, workflow, and clinical outcomes. We performed a retrospective review of patients who were operated on between December 2021 and June 2025 and discuss the preoperative planning, intraoperative considerations, postoperative care, and clinical outcomes in these patients. A total of 25 implants were placed, with a success rate of 96%. The patients did not have additional hardware complications or exposure, or any flap issues subsequently. There were no re-explorations or flap failures in the cohort. Two patients died, and all the surviving patients retained a prosthesis at follow-up (100%). In this carefully selected cohort of patients with oral cancer, the JIADT allowed for successful single-stage dental rehabilitation with a high implant survival rate, without compromising on the time to adjuvant radiotherapy or interfering with its delivery. Modifications of workflow and surgical techniques were essential to optimize this surgery for patients with oral cancer. Future research is required to safely expand the scope and reduce the risks of this surgery in those with oral cancer.