BACKGROUND: Surgical interventions are more effective than nonsurgical approaches in providing a cure for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). In this study, we aimed to assess the benefits of tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) abbrevo by comparing its efficacy and complications to those of TVT obturator.
RESULTS: 49 and 47 patients at The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children\'s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between January 2013 and December 2016 were included in the TVT-O and TVT-A groups, respectively. We evaluate the success rate and perioperative complications associated with TVT-O and TVT-A. A questionnaire that utilized the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) Scale was employed to assess the impact of surgery. Patients were followed up at 1 year, and 5 years after surgery. There were no statistically significant differences found in the efficacy of the TVT-A group and TVT-O group during both the one-year (p = 0.4) and five-year (p = 0.32) follow-up periods. In the period of one-year follow-up, 95.9% (n = 47) of patients in the TVT-O group and 95.8% (n = 45) of patients in the TVT-A group demonstrated improvement. During the period of five-year follow-up, 87.8% (n = 43) of patients in the TVT-O group and 93.6% (n = 44) of patients in the TVT-A group demonstrated improvement.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, TVT-A and TVT-O procedures exhibited similarly high success rates and low frequencies of complications.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of the present retrospective clinical study was to determine the survival time of obturators while analyzing possible influencing factors.
METHODS: This retrospective clinical cohort study analyzed the influence of various clinical factors on the survival probability of obturators and their follow-up outcomes using Kaplan‒Meier analysis.
RESULTS: A total of 76 patients with 115 obturators were included in the study (47 men and 29 women, mean age 58.1 ± 18.1 years). The mean observation time was 3.0 ± 4.5 years (maximum 26.3 years). A total of 40.9% (47) of all obturators observed had to be replaced. The survival rate after 5 years was 79.5% for telescopic-crown-retained tooth-supported obturators, 86.9% for telescopic-crown-retained implant-supported obturators, 58.8% for removable full denture obturators, 22.1% for clasp-retained obturators and 0.0% for splints. The type of attachment, attendance at a regular follow-up and defect cause significantly influenced the survival of the obturators (p < .05).
CONCLUSIONS: The findings obtained in this study support the recommendation of using implant-supported obturators. Telescopic-crown attachments, either tooth- or implant-supported, seem to be favorable in terms of survival time. Attendance at a strict follow-up program seems to have a major influence on the longevity of the obturators.
CONCLUSIONS: The use of implant-supported obturators to cover permanent oral and maxillofacial defects is highly recommended. Additionally, the use of telescopic-crown attachments seems to be favorable in terms of survival time. Clasp-retained obturators and surgical splints should be used primarily for temporary restorations due to their shorter survival times.

UNASSIGNED: The aim of the present study was to assess the speech analysis in acquired maxillary defect patients treated with maxillary obturator.
UNASSIGNED: Total of 16 patients were considered in the study. The age group of these patients ranged from 40 to 75 years with a mean age of 59.5 years, irrespective of their gender. The surgical obturator was fabricated using self-cure acrylic. The surgical obturator was delivered immediately after surgery. After a healing period of about 2 weeks, the surgical obturator was replaced by an interim prosthesis. This was processed with the help of heat-cure polymethylmethacrylate. The total number of patients was divided into two groups, namely, (A) Definitive obturator group and (B) Interim obturator group. The speech intelligibility (SI), was analyzed.
UNASSIGNED: The mean scores for SI before prosthesis in definitive and interim groups were 19.13 ± 3.22 and 19.87 ± 1.72, respectively. This was increased after prosthesis insertion to 24.38 ± 1.30 and 22.37 ± 1.18, which further increased after adaptation period of 2 months to 28.75 ± 1.28 and 24.62 ± 1.59 in two groups.
UNASSIGNED: The present study concluded that speech was severely affected by maxillary resection and that rehabilitation with maxillary obturator was successful in restoring these aspects of speech.

UNASSIGNED: The purpose of the study was to assess psychological status (PS) and quality of life (QOL) before surgical resection of maxilla (T0), 2 weeks after resection (T1), 2 weeks after use of intermediate obturator (T2), before (T3) and 12 weeks after use of definitive obturator (T4). 20 participants, planned for resection of maxilla and subsequent prosthodontic rehabilitation were enrolled. Assessment was done using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (HADS-A: anxiety and HADS-D: depression) for PS, World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire- Head and Neck Module (EORTC QLQ- H&N35) for QOL, and obturator functioning scale (OFS) for obturator functioning. Six cases were dropped out. Highest HADS-A score was observed presurgically (18.7 ± 1.1) and highest HADS-D score at T1 (18.5 ± 1.8). After rehabilitation, HADS-A and HADS-D decreased significantly (P < 001). Least WHOQOL-BREF score was observed at T1, followed by a consistent, significant rise after rehabilitation at all time intervals (P < 001). Highest EORTC QLQ-H&N 35 score was observed at T1, with significant reduction (P < 0.001) after rehabilitation for all questions, except those related to sexual wellness (P = 1). Highest OFS were observed at T2 (3.1 ± 10.3) and least at T4 (1.9 ± 0.2). QOL and PS decline after maxillectomy. Patient education and rehabilitation with obturator leads to improvement in QOL and PS probably due to restored oral functions, and improved health of soft tissue. Both parameters improved with enhanced obturator quality and time.
UNASSIGNED: Reg. No. CTRI/2018/04/013164 http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/regtrial.php?modid=1&compid=19&EncHid=67729.89030.

UNASSIGNED: Rehabilitation after the maxillectomy is challenging to the clinician and the patient. Since the invention of the implants, the rehabilitation has changed the treatment strategies. Hence in our study, we evaluated the maxillary obturator that is implant supported.
UNASSIGNED: We piloted a retrospective analysis of the patients who received the maxillary obturator prosthesis with implant support from the department records from 2010 to 2020. We finalized 50 subjects who fit the criteria and evaluated clinically for various parameters. The comparison of these parameters was done using the Chi-square tests deliberating P < 0.05 as significant.
UNASSIGNED: We observed that the implant survival was 94%. There was significant variation for the implant bone height (P = 0.001) and the implant threads exposed (P = 0.044) for the posterior and the anterior regions.
UNASSIGNED: The implant-supported maxillary obturator prosthesis has been shown to perform clinically satisfactorily. The success of the implant-supported maxillary obturator is dependent on the time of the placement, load applied, the radiation regime, and the patient follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare masticatory performance and patient reported eating ability of maxillectomy patients with implant-supported obturators and patients with surgically reconstructed maxillae.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada and at Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+), Maastricht, The Netherlands. Eleven surgically reconstructed maxillectomy patients have been included at University of Alberta and nine implant-supported obturator patients at MUMC+. The mixing ability test (MAT) was used to measure masticatory performance. In addition, the oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) was measured with shortened versions of the oral health impact profile (OHIP) questionnaire. Values of the implant-supported obturator group versus the surgical reconstruction group were compared with independent t-tests in case of normal distribution, otherwise the Mann-Whitney U test was applied.
RESULTS: Patients with reconstructed maxillae and patients with implant-supported obturator prostheses had similar mean mixing ability indices (18.20 ± 2.38 resp. 18.66 ± 1.37; P = .614). The seven OHRQoL questions also showed no differences in masticatory ability between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: With caution, the results of this study seem to confirm earlier results that implant-supported obturation is a good alternative to surgical reconstruction for all Class II maxillary defects. With both techniques, the masticatory performance is sufficiently restored, with careful planning being highly desirable.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the masticatory performance and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of edentulous maxillectomy patients with and without implant-supported obturator prostheses.
METHODS: Nineteen edentulous maxillectomy patients with completed prosthetic obturator treatment in the upper jaw participated in this study. In nine patients, the obturator prosthesis was supported by implants in the remaining bone of the midface and/or skull base to improve retention. Masticatory performance was measured objectively by the mixing ability test (MAT) and subjectively by three OHRQoL questionnaires: (a) the Oral Health Impact Profile for EDENTulous people (OHIP-EDENT), (b) the Obturator Function Scale (OFS), and (c) the Dutch Liverpool Oral Rehabilitation Questionnaire version 3 (LORQv3-NL). The independent t test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to test for differences in outcomes of patients with and without implant-retention of their obturator prostheses.
RESULTS: Patients with implant-supported obturator prostheses had significantly better masticatory and oral function, reported fewer chewing difficulties, and had less discomfort during food intake than did patients with a conventional obturator.
CONCLUSIONS: Supporting prosthetic obturators after maxillectomy with implants improve oral functioning, chewing, and eating comfort. This treatment modality is a viable technique to improve the functionality of prosthetic rehabilitation in patients who have undergone maxillectomy.

To explore the long-term impact for patients living with an obturator prosthesis, following a maxillectomy for a head and neck neoplasm.
A qualitative approach was employed, using semi-structured interviews. A purposive sample of eight men and four women, living with an obturator prosthesis for at least five years, were recruited. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed. Using thematic analysis, two researchers analysed the data.
The data were categorised into four themes: 1. Preparedness for living with an obturator, 2. Impact of living with an obturator - what changes to expect, 3. Stability and retention of the obturator, and 4. Coping strategies to aid adjustment. Long-term effects of living with an obturator spanned many aspects of life to include: chewing and eating, speaking, dealing with nasal leakage and altered body image, employment and intimacy issues, along with embarrassment during social encounters. Optimal retention and stability of the obturator, as perceived by the patient, lead to improved social confidence and engagement. The emotional impact varied greatly on peoples\' lives.
Patients experiencing the greatest long-term challenges had larger defects, were of employment age and had not returned to work. Gaining an improved understanding of the psychology of coping overtime is clearly important, as this can inform interventions to facilitate adjustment for those who are emotionally struggling. Furthermore, the findings of this study could inform the design of a communication tool to facilitate shared-decision making and aid preparedness for living with an obturator following a maxillectomy.
The multidisciplinary head and neck team should provide patients with detailed pre-operative information, including potential effects on social, work and personal relationships. The restorative dentistry team has a pivotal role in the long-term management of these patients, as obturators have a finite lifespan with ongoing maintenance necessary to promote optimal retention and stability.

OBJECTIVE: To assess function by identifying changes in swallowing and masticatory performance in maxillary obturator prosthesis wearers.
METHODS: Sixty subjects were recruited for the study, of which 20 were obturator wearers, 20 were completely dentulous and 20 had removable partial/complete dentures with similar Eichner\'s Index. Swallowing ability was evaluated with and without obturator using the \"Water Drinking Test\"; Masticatory performance was evaluated with the Sieve test; and maximum occlusal force was recorded with the help of a digital bite sensor. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science version 15.0 with a confidence level at 95%.
RESULTS: Profile, behavior of drinking and time taken to drink were significantly improved (P<.001) in subjects after wearing obturator. Masticatory performance was not significantly different (P=.252) in obturator wearer when compared with dentulous or removable partial/complete denture wearer, but significantly (P<.001) high inter group difference in maximum occlusal force existed. Correlation between masticatory performance and maximum occlusal force was not significant (P=.124).
CONCLUSIONS: Swallowing ability was significantly improved after wearing obturator but masticatory performance was not significantly different from those having similar occlusal support zone in their dentition.