TITLE:
Effectiveness of a Custom-Made Temporary Obturator after Bilateral Total Maxillectomy
AUTHORS:
Kenji Nakamori, Manabu Yamagishi, Keigo Takaya, Tomohiro Igarashi, Hiroyoshi Hiratsuka
KEYWORDS:
Custom-Made; Temporary Obturator; Bilateral Maxillectomy; Ethylene Vinyl Acetate
JOURNAL NAME:
Surgical Science,
Vol.4 No.7,
July
4,
2013
ABSTRACT: Large oro-antral communication, associated with total maxillectomy,
may lead speech and/or swallowing dysfunction. These surgical defects are
packed with obuturator or prosthesis following surgery; however, achieving
retention and stability is dependent on anatomical conditions. A 68-year-old
Japanese female with large oro-antral communication arising because of
bilateral total maxillectomy was referred for evaluating application of
obturator. The temporary obturator was constructed as underlying 3 mm thick and
covereing 1.5 - 2 mm thick ethylene vinyl acetate sheet (EVA). These two sheets formed
the flexible hollow bulb portion, which aided retention and stability by
engaging the undercut portion of the surgical defect. For the patients who
have difficulty anatomical features for conventional prosthesis, this type of
temporary obturator made with EVA sheets could be an effective solution in the
early postoperative period.