The proportion of head and neck patients treated at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala-Uganda who need maxillofacial prosthesis from the period of 2010 to 2020

Background: Maxillofacial prostheses are appliances or devices used in a variety of oral and facial deformities as a result of congenital malformations, trauma, and cancer following surgery to rehabilitate or restore speech, swallowing, chewing, and esthetics in both soft and hard tissues. Head and neck conditions from trauma, cancer, and congenital malformations, often require treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, which can result in disfigurement. Surgical reconstruction and prosthetic rehabilitation is usually recommended and can significantly improve a patient's quality of life. However, there is limited research on the need for maxillofacial prostheses at Mulago National Referral Hospital. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the proportion of these patients who require prosthetic rehabilitation and how many actually receive prostheses at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department in Kampala, Uganda. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from January 2010 to December 2020, reviewing 1,000 patient files, of which 251 were selected. Data were collected through a guided questionnaire covering socio-demographics, surgeries performed, and considerations for maxillofacial prosthetics and were entered into an excel spread sheet and analysed in STATA version 14.0 statistical software. The outcome variable for head and neck patients who needed maxillofacial prosthetic services was assigned one while those who did not require was assigned zero and the results were presented as text and in a table. Results: Analysis of the 251 files from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department showed that males outnumbered females by a 2:1 ratio. The main conditions treated included 49% fractures, 26.69% tumors, 12.75% cysts, and 13.15% other issues. While many patients underwent major surgeries, few were referred for maxillofacial prostheses, primarily receiving recommendations for complex dentures, obturators, and splints. Conclusion: The study indicates that maxillofacial prostheses are not routinely provided in most procedures at the department, with a greater emphasis on intraoral prosthetics and minimal documentation for extra oral options.