Since a large number of elderly patients suffer from some kind of systemic disease,careful attention should be given in treating such patients. We report a patient with cancer of the mandibular gingiva complicated by postoperative acute renal failure. The patient had been treated with combination therapy of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery at another medical institution before being transferred to our department. Tumor resection and reconstruction with the pectoral major myocutaneous flap and the delto-pectoral flap were performed under general anesthesia in our department. The patient developed postoperative acute renal failure four weeks later and was started on hemodialysis. Hemodialysis was performed nine times before being discontinued. When her general condition became stable, the patient returned to her former hospital. Next, she received hemodialysis two times prior to surgery, and her delto-pectoral flap was divided under general anesthesia at the hospital. Then, the patient showed oliguria and postperative hemorrhaging five days Iater. Thereafter, the patient developed disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) syndrome and died.
