Hollowing of Delayed Surgical Obturator in Maxillectomy Defects Secondary to Mucormycosis in Post-COVID-19 Era: A Case Series

During the second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in India, there was an increase in the surge of mucormycosis cases secondary to COVID-19 infection. Aggressive surgical debridement is the most common treatment modality opted for its treatment that leads to extended maxillary defects. Obturating such defects may be very challenging from a prosthodontic point of view, as larger defect sizes and fewer retentive areas make it difficult to retain the prosthesis. A delayed surgical obturator is a prosthesis that is placed 6–10 days after the surgery, mainly used to minimize postoperative complications. It reproduces the contour of the palate and allows the patient to resume a regular diet. It also assists in normal speech. But in large surgical defects, the increased obturator's weight makes it uncomfortable and nonretentive for the patient, compromising its function. Consequently, in this case series, hollow bulb obturators are fabricated to decrease the weight of the prosthesis and to improve the function by establishing palatal contour. In case 1, hollowing was done using thermoplastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets and in case 2 acrylic shim was used. In both cases two-layer techniques were used, as in large defects if we use a single-layer technique it will either increase the weight of the prosthesis or may fail to create a palatal contour that further compromises the function. The techniques followed here are easy to use and less time-consuming. © The Author(s). 2022.