Preservation of palatal mucoperiosteum for oronasal separation after total maxillectomy.

Background: Oronasal communication occurs after total maxillectomy for advanced sinonasal cancers. This results in feeding, breathing and cosmetic impairment. Various methods have been described to close off the palatal defect from the oral cavity to improve the function of speech and deglutition. Aims: The object of this article is to describe our experience of preservation of palatal mucoperiosteum for oronasal separation. Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of clinical and operative records of 31 total maxillectomy patients where oronasal separation was achieved by the conventional technique of applying a maxillary obturator. The postoperative complications arising from the use of maxillary obturator for oronasal communication after total maxillectomy in these 31 patients were analysed. To avoid the complications encountered in these 31 patients we preserved and used the ipsilateral palatal mucoperiosteum for oronasal separation. This new technique was applied in 12 patients. The results are presented and compared. Results : A total of 43 patients underwent total maxillectomy for advanced sinonasal tumors. In 31 patients the conventional maxillary obturator was used for oronasal separation. Among these patients, 30 had crustation of the maxillary cavity, nasal regurgitation and cheek skin retraction in 15 each, trismus in eight, infection of skin graft donor site in seven, cheek movement during respiration in five and ill-fitting prosthesis in three. In 12 patients palatal mucoperiosteum was preserved and used for oronasal separation. The complications encountered in oronasal separation by palatal prosthesis were avoided in the modified procedure. Conclusions: We found that oronasal separation by preservation of palatal mucoperiosteum following total maxillectomy allowed excellent palatal function, prompt rehabilitation and minimal complications without compromising the prognosis.

Acute Bacterial Meningitis after Percutaneous Radiofrequency Trigeminal Rhinzotomy of the Maxillary Cancer Patient : A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Since 1920, when Harvey Cushing first used radiofrequency in electrosurgery, the procedural technique has developed rapidly. Even though this procedure is minimally invasive and safer than other neurodestructive procedures, it is still not free of complications. A 72-year-old female patient had constant facial pain, despite several operations and radiotherapies for her maxillary cancer. The region innervated ophthalmic branch and maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve was involved, with radiofrequency procedure of the gasserian ganglion for pain control also performed at the area. After the procedure, her blood pressure became elevated and she complained of a headache, and six hours later, she became irritable and distracted. Bacterial meningitis was diagnosed by a spinal tap, with third-generation cephalosporin administered as the treatment. The following day, her symptoms had improved and the pain was also reduced. She was discharged from hospital after 14 days, without any sequelae.

EFFECTS OF MULTIMODAL TREATMENT FOR THE MAXILLARY CANCER

The treatment of maxillary cancer has been commonly performed by the surgery and radiation therapy, alone or in combination. Multimodal treatment has been introduced with improvement of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Multimodal treatment for the maxillary cancer is composed of surgery, radiation therapy, and regional intra-arterial chemotherapy. The present study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the multimodal treatment with Morita's method, with a slight modification, for the maxillary cancer. Twenty-four cases of the maxillary cancer were analyzed. The multimodal treatment increased the 5-year-survival rate up to 66% and reduced the need for maxillectomy. This method made the morphological and funtional preservation possible. This method may be recommended for the treatment of maxillary cancer.

Use of the temporal muscle flaps in the regeneration of the hard palate and orbital floor in the operation of the ethmoido-maxillary cancer

During the period from 1989 to 1999 at Cho Ray hospital we have a series of 27 patients with unilateral paranasal sinus malignancies who were underwent the maxillectomy. The ipsilateral temporal muscle was used for one-stage primary reconstruction of the hard palate or orbital floor or both after the ablation of the tumor. Results: in this series, there are 8 T3 tumors and 19 T4 tumors. 22 temporal muscle flaps have been used for reconstruction of the hard palate and orbital floor have been reconstructed simultaneously. All flaps were good. We have neither flap related complication nor partial or total flap loss. The new hard palate flaps separated well the oral cavity and the nasal fossa and could maintain the eye ball in a good position. The patients could eat and drink by mouth just after the surgery. The flaps resist well to the following radiation therapy. No flap demonstrated any degree of radionecrosis.