Prevalence of Post-Surgical Maxillary Defects and Causes of Maxillary Resections in Patients Presenting at Tertiary Care Hospitals of Multan, Pakistan

• Published in: Pakistan journal of medicine and dentistry Vol. 14; no. 3
• Main Authors: Anjum, Rida, Ghumman, Maria Komil, Anwar, Malik Adeel, Ishaq, Waleed, Urooj, Sana, Farooq, Umar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: ziauddin University 21.07.2025
• Subjects: Fungal Infection; Jaw Neoplasms; Mycoses; Oral Surgical Procedures; Prosthodontics
• ISSN: 2313-7371; 2308-2593
• DOI: 10.36283/ziun-pjmd14-3/032

Background: Maxillectomy, often necessitated by late-stage malignancies, results in significant anatomical and functional impairments profoundly affecting the quality of life of the affected patients. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of maxillary post-surgical defects and, primary causes of maxillectomy among patients in South Punjab, Pakistan. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample size of 32 patients at two tertiary care hospitals in Multan from September 2023 to August 2024 using nonprobability convenience sampling. The target population for this study was patients who developed post-surgical maxillary defects following maxillectomy and presented at the hospitals. Data was collected using a proforma including patient demographics, side of defect, timing from diagnosis to surgery, surgery to prosthesis placement, and underlying causes of maxillectomy. SPSS 23 was used for descriptive analysis. For inferential analysis, the Chi-square test was used. A p-value of < 0.005 was considered statistically significant. Results: Males were more affected (71.9%, n=23) than females (28.1%, n=9), with the highest prevalence among those aged 41-60 years. Surgeries were delayed for more than a year in 56.3% of the cases. Defects were more common on the right side (56.3%), and pathological causes were responsible for 71.9% of maxillectomies, with benign lesions (82.6%) being more frequent than malignant ones. Defects were more common on the right side (56.3%) Conclusion: Maxillary defects were more prevalent in males and aged 41 to 60, with a right-sided predominance. The majority of the maxillectomies were due to benign pathological causes, with fungal infection being the most common pathological reason.