A team at Hospital Pablo Soria in Jujuy has performed a complex mandibular reconstruction surgery using advanced microvascular techniques, marking the first time such a procedure has been conducted in the province’s public health system. The operation involved transplanting a segment of fibula bone from the patient’s leg to reconstruct the jaw.
According to the Ministry of Health of Jujuy, the surgery was carried out by specialists from the hospital’s Head and Neck Surgery Service with support from an interdisciplinary team. The 16-hour operation took place on January 2 and aimed to restore quality of life for a 24-year-old patient from Perico who had been diagnosed with a giant mandibular tumor. The patient continues outpatient rehabilitation and is reported to be recovering well.
Enrique Armella, head and neck surgical oncologist at Hospital Pablo Soria, stated: “As a result of his diagnosis, the person had functional and aesthetic complications, such as difficulty chewing food and deformation in the dental arch,” adding that “our hospital is more than prepared for these types of interventions which require significant logistics, both in equipment and highly trained professionals, as well as an explicit commitment to the community of Jujuy.”
The medical team completely removed the affected bone before reconstructing the jaw with a piece of fibula harvested from the patient’s own leg. Prior to surgery, three-dimensional planning was developed by a biomedical engineering service in Córdoba Province. Customized molds and guides were created based on CT scans to increase precision during surgery.
During reconstruction, segments of fibula bone were fixed into place using titanium plates. Surgeons then connected blood vessels from the transplanted bone to those in the neck through microsurgery using high-magnification microscopes.
The surgical team included Guillermo Loza, Eduardo Huertas, and Enrique Armella from Hospital Pablo Soria’s Head and Neck Surgery Service; Lucas Mazars, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon from Buenos Aires; residents in general surgery; anesthesiology staff; surgical instrumentation teams; intensive care personnel; and nursing staff.
The Ministry highlighted that ongoing investment by Jujuy’s government made this achievement possible within local facilities: “Thus responses for our community are provided within our province by local professionals at maximum quality standards, avoiding referrals or transfers outside Jujuy.”
