title: Midfacial Reconstruction - A Systematic Review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Different lesions affecting the midfacial regions require surgical reconstruction. The aim of this study was to assess the different methods used in midfacial reconstruction after maxillectomy procedures. The various reported surgical reconstructive techniques focusing on the esthetic and functional outcomes are to be reviewed in this article.
  
  
  METHODS
  A thorough PUBMED and hand-search of journals of relevance was performed on related terms and yielded 772 titles of which 45 abstracts were selected and obtained as full articles for further evaluation while the rest were excluded by title/abstract. According to the inclusion criteria; 14 of these studies were used to complete this article.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this review we showed that fibular and radial vascularized grafts were the most commonly reported methods in literature with a few other options. Computer aided design and surgical planning has been also reviewed and seems to be a rapidly evolving option for maxillofacial reconstruction. Lack of RCTs (randomized controlled trials) and large scale case series was noticed in this review making the evidence of poor quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methods of evaluation of reconstruction options mainly qualitative and subjective made the evaluation of the techniques in this review difficult.
authors.affiliation: Oral Maxillofacial Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Aala
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Emara
authors.affiliation: Oral Maxillofacial Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Adel Abou
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: ElFetouh
authors.affiliation: Oral Maxillofacial Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hakam
authors.affiliation: Surgery and Oral Medicine Department, Oral and Dental Research Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Basma
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mostafa
keywords: Maxilla; Midface; maxillectomy; oncologic defect; reconstruction