Oral tumors involving the maxilla in dogs and cats pose unique surgical challenges, most notably being how much bony anatomy is affected. The bony structures support teeth as well as protect the delicate nasal passages. Additionally branches of the external carotid artery and external jugular vein and the trigeminal and facial nerves provide vascular supply and innervation to the maxilla. Other adjacent critical structures include the calvarium and ocular orbit. Typical surgical approaches to the maxilla are either the intraoral or the dorsolateral combined intraoral approaches. Anecdotally disruption of more than 50% of the circumference of the maxillary structure is avoided with maxillectomy surgery (such as from dorsal midline to ventral midlineor complete palatal resection) to avoid collapse and or impairment of the residual maxilla and nasal structures.
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