Jakarta (ANTARA) – Oncology surgeon Diani Kartini explained that the reconstruction process needs to be carried out after tongue cancer sufferers undergo surgery to remove the cancer which includes cutting off part of the tongue.
“The earlier the patient comes to the doctor, the less tongue is wasted. If enough of the tongue is wasted, of course there will be reconstruction or rebuilding of the tongue,” said the member of the Medical Surgical Staff Group at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, in an online event on Thursday.
“Of course the sensation is not the same (as with a real tongue), but it can help patients eat and talk,” he added.
If the cancer has not yet filled the entire tongue, Diani said, the doctor can use the local, flat layer of the cheek as a reconstruction material.
However, he continued, if the operation requires removing more tongue tissue then reconstruction material can be taken from another part of the body, which then has blood vessels connected to the tongue.
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Diani explained that the reconstruction process after tongue cancer surgery involves a medical team which can consist of dentists, radiotherapy doctors, and medical rehabilitation experts whose job is to train patients to speak and swallow after the reconstruction procedure.
He said that medical rehabilitation is an important part of the reconstruction process after tongue cancer surgery.
According to him, it is important for patients to consult with a doctor from the start regarding the muscles that will be removed for reconstruction and the rehabilitation plan that will be carried out.
Although the physiology of the tongue may not return to normal after surgery and reconstruction, he explained, rehabilitation can help patients perform daily activities such as speaking and swallowing food better.
“Because it’s not a new tongue, you have to be trained to speak, move your tongue, swallow food. Physiologically, it doesn’t return to normal, but it can help patients carry out activities,” said Diani.
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Also read: Frequent smoking increases the risk of tongue cancer up to five times
2024-04-04 08:44:09
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