The surgery involves the removal of a certain amount of bone tissue, its shaping and fixing in the area where this is lacking. Normally autologous bone donor centers, or of the patient himself, are the posterior region of the mandible or chin. Removal from extra-oral locations is carried out in cases where it is necessary to use greater amounts of bone tissue, usually the cranial theca.
In case of graft taken from intra-oral location, surgery lasts about an ‘hour and can be performed on an outpatient regime, under local anesthesia combined with conscious sedation or in cases where it is requested by the patient under general anesthesia. In cases where it is necessary to recure to extra-oral location the surgery is performed in the operating room under general anesthesia. The duration varies from one to two hours, depending on the complexity of the case
On bone graft locations slight swelling may be present in the following surgery, donor sites will be swelling for 5-6 days after surgery. After about 6 days after surgery you can resume normal work activities. It takes from 3 to 6 months to allow full grafted bone integration and to be able to insert the implants.