Procedures

• Dental Implants
• Teeth-in-an-Hour
• Bone Grafting
  • Overview
  • The Importance of Teeth for Jawbone Health
  • Reasons for Jawbone Loss and Deterioration
  • About Bone Grafting
  • Ridge Augmentation
  • Sinus Lift
• Wisdom Teeth
• Facial Trauma
• Jaw Surgery
  • Jaw Surgery Diet
• Pre-prosthetic Surgery
• TMJ Disorders
• Sleep Apnea
• Cleft Lip & Palate
• Facial & Oral Cancer
• Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery
• Cosmetic Procedures
  • Botox
  • Browlift
  • Chemical Peel
  • Ear Surgery
  • Eyelid Surgery
  • Facelift
  • Nose Surgery
  • Wrinkle Removal

Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery

Defects of the face, neck and mouth are often created when removing tumors or as the result of severe facial injury.  Proper reconstruction is vital to allow patients to maintain the highest quality of life and self-esteem.  Dr. Williams is the only Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon in Texas performing microvascular reconstructive surgery, and one of less than 30 Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons in the nation trained in this state-of-the-art form of reconstruction.  After finishing his 6-year surgical residency, Dr. Williams completed an additional 2 years of fellowship training at the University of Michigan to learn this specialized surgery.

Microvascular reconstructive surgery is one of the most advanced options in restoring facial form and function following the removal of facial and oral tumors.  Tissues from the patient's own body are transplanted into the facial defects to restore function and appearance.  These transplants (known as "flaps") can be in the form of skin, muscle, bone, or any combination.  The flap is removed from the body along with blood vessels that supply nourishment to the flap.  The blood vessels are reconnected to vessels around the facial defect under a microscope using sutures smaller than a human hair.  Once blood flow is re-established, the transplanted tissue remains alive just as it did in its original location.  Because the flap is completely freed from another part of the body, this technique is often referred to as "free flap surgery" or "free tissue transfer."

When necessary for microvascular jaw reconstruction, Dr. Williams utilizes computer-guided virtual surgery to plan the reconstruction with increased precision and potentially reduced operating time.  Using this advanced technology, Dr. Williams works closely with biomedical engineers from Medical Modeling on each case to offer truly customized surgical solutions for each patient.

While not all patients are candidates to undergo this form of reconstruction, Dr. Williams also performs many other forms of facial reconstructive surgery.  The optimal reconstructive technique is tailored to each patient and chosen based on the patient's wishes, goals, and available options.