ABSTRACT
Background: Surgical removal of large cysts frequently leaves a postoperative defect. Buccal Fat Pad (BFP) is a vascularized graft with potent regenerative ability that could be implemented in the reconstruction of intraoral defects. Case Report: A 47-year-old female patient came to Wangaya Regional Hospital, Bali, Indonesia with a chief complaint of swelling on the left lower jaw. A radiograph examination showed a large cystic lesion in the posterior left mandible region. Case Management: After extraction of affected teeth #36-38, the overlying bone was removed, and the cyst was enucleated and sent for biopsy. Necrotomy was performed, leaving a defect of 3.5 cm x 1.5 cm. Buccal extension of BFP was herniated via blunt dissection, placed into the post-enucleation defect, covered with a flap and sutured. The defect showed progressive and stable healing at one day, one week, and one-month post-reconstruction follow-up. BFP has been increasingly used for intraoral reconstruction, especially in oroantral communication and cleft palate cases. It has been reported to give successful results even in previously-failed graft sites. BFP has a low infection rate, is rich in vascularity, is close to the recipient site, has a quick epithelization rate, and only needs minimal dissection to be harvested hence minimal morbidity at the donor site. The main disadvantage of BFP is possible post-surgical contraction. Conclusion: BFP graft is a practical technique that could be applied clinically to achieve an ideal intraoral reconstruction, mimicking both the aesthetic and functionality of normal tissues.
