Total maxillary surgery

The use of total maxillary surgery in the correction of various dentofacial and craniofacial deformities has become commonplace. Indeed, with current surgical techniques it is possible independently or simultaneously to reposition the maxilla in a superior, transverse, anterior, or posterior direction. By segmentalization of the maxilla under direct vision it is further possible to independently and simultaneously reposition portions of it in different planes of spaces. This paper will not attempt a detailed historical review, rather it will emphasize the current state of the art of total maxillary surgery.