Maxillary Sinus & Palate Cancer Surgery.

A maxillectomy is the surgical removal of part or all of the upper jaw bone (maxilla). Because it creates a opening between the mouth and nasal cavity, it causes speech to sound highly nasal and lets liquids or food escape through the nose. This is fully resolved by sealing the defect immediately using a palatal obturator plate or a microvascular free flap.

A palatal obturator is a custom-made dental prosthesis (similar to a retainer or denture with a bulb extension) that physically blocks the opening in the roof of the mouth after a maxillectomy. It is inserted immediately after surgery (surgical obturator) and adjusted as tissues heal (definitive obturator), enabling patients to eat, speak, and swallow normally.

To preserve facial contours and prevent the cheek from sinking in, Dr. Saha utilizes internal titanium plates and reconstruction meshes to support the facial soft tissues. In extensive resections (e.g. Suinfrastructure or Total Maxillectomies), microvascular free tissue transfers (like the fibula free flap, which provides bone for future dental implants) are used to rebuild the structural framework of the face.