Surgical treatment of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw
Medicua Alpha Clinic operates under a first-of-a-kind algorithm for diagnostics and treatment of this disease, and it is not used elsewhere in Bulgaria. Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis is a comparatively new disease discovered in 2003 according to world statistics; the first case in Bulgaria was reported in 2009, that is why an extensive experience in its treatment is still lacking on a world-wide scale.
Our team has its own algorithm: the patient is given a medications therapy which is elaborated for each specific patient. Afterwards by means of a surgery the osteonecrotic tissue is removed, and during surgery the only in Bulgaria VEL-scope is used. Through the fluorescence of this equipment, the specialists team can distinctly see the borderline between the necrotic and healthy bone tissue. In this way the removed healthy bone is far less than with the conventional method; the jaw functionality is better preserved and the degree of facial deformity is reduced. Afterwards the healthy bone surface is PRF “sealed “. PRF is a material derived from the patients own blood – platelets enriched plasma, boosted with growth factors that improve the bone healing process. The PRF is prepared on site in the hospital using specialized equipment. The patients receive specially designed care in the post-surgery period. Thanks to this combination of the most up-to-date solutions, none of our patients who have been treated by this technology in the last three years have developed any complications or recurrence.
Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis is presumed to be related to taking bisphosphonate-based medications. The scientific research show that between 1.3 % and 10 % of the patients given bisphosphonate therapy (most commonly with regard to cancer treatment), as a result develop this condition.
