Tsurumi University - CURRENTLY INACTIVE

Tsurumi, Japan

The clinical fields of the department include:

• Tumor surgery and maxillofacial reconstruction, including microsurgery
• Implantology and various types of dento-alveolar surgery
• Orthognathic surgery, including distraction osteogenesis
• TMJ surgery, including arthroscopic surgery
• Oral and maxillofacial traumatology
• Oral and maxillofacial rehabilitation

The department works with all of the dental specialties in Tsurumi University Hospital, and with related oral & maxillofacial clinics in other general hospitals that have ICU’s and emergency medical centers.

The mean number of primary oral cancer patients treated annually in the department is approximately 50 (including 20 patients who primarily visit our related clinics). Half of these patients undergo tumor ablation and surgical reconstruction of hard and soft tissue. Various treatments for implant-supported oral & maxillofacial rehabilitation are mainly performed in close cooperation with the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Implantology. All orthognathic surgeries are planned with the Department of Orthodontics. The main procedure performed during orthognathic surgeries is mandibular setback with or without maxillary advance. More than 50 patients with TMJ disease undergo surgical treatment, including visually guided irrigation using a 1.2-mm rod-lens arthroscope. Major trauma patients needing ICU support are managed in our related clinics in general hospitals.

The department is also involved in several ongoing research projects, which strictly oriented toward clinical practice. Briefly, for oral carcinoma we are studying the pharmacologic effects of bamboo leaf extract and the diagnostic usefulness of PET or PET-CT. In orthognathic surgery, we are conducting mechanical and microscopic studies with titanium mini-plates used for fixation of mandibular fragments. We are also using MRI to investigate the morphologic changes in the TMJ following mandibular setback with BSSO. Inflammatory cytokines and floated cells in the synovial fluid are investigated in comparison with clinical outcome after joint irrigation for internal derangements and osteoarthritis of the TMJ.

Moreover, we conduct several biological researches on bone regeneration and osteointegration in an effort to find ways to reduce the amount of time needed for dental implant treatment, as well as research projects related to distraction osteogenesis.

While enrolled in an IBRA fellowship program in our department, the fellow can freely participate in all of the above-mentioned clinical activities with our official staff, as well as take part in most research projects.

The fellow’s schedule can be individually arranged in the fellowship program, however always taking the research priorities of our department into consideration.

Foreign candidates need an official clinical work permit, which will be arranged by the University (only for the duration of the fellowship program). Because of the time needed to complete the administrative process, we ask candidates to submit their applications for the fellowship, including all necessary documents, 12 months before starting the program.

Responsible:
Prof. and Chairman Kanichi Seto, DDS, PhD
First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
School of Dental Medicine
Tsurumi University
2-1-3 Tsurumi Tsurumi-ku
Yokohama 230-8501
Japan

Phone: +81 45 581 1001
Fax: +81 45 582 0459
E-Mail: seto@jsoms.or.jp