Maxillary posterior region have presented challenges for successful dental implant therapies often due to poor bone
quality and lack of vertical bone volume. Variations of sinus lift procedure techniques utilizing osteotome and lateral
window openings have been developed to overcome such challenges. Although such variations of sinus lift procedures
are necessary for successful outcomes of dental implant therapies, many complications can arise from sinus lift
procedures.
Complications that can arise during the sinus lift procedures include perforation of Schneiderian membrane, obstruction
of antero-nasal foramen, severe hemorrhaging, damage to adjacent dentition, and poor initial stability for implant
placement. Post-procedure complications include nausea, severe headache secondary to malleting, oro-nasal fistula,
infection of the sinus and grafted material, loss of grafted material, membrane exposure, poor wound healing, and
implant failures.
Above mentioned complications point to inherent difficulties in performing sinus lift procedures for dental implants.
Numerous attempts have been made in recent years to overcome the difficulties of sinus lift procedures and making such
sinus lift procedures safe.
This prospective study was conducted between January 2006 and December 2008. There were 65 patients between the
age of 19 to 75, and 87 implants were placed simultaneously while sinus lift procedure was performed using Hatch
Reamer System. Early results show 2 implants failures due to mobility of implants, sinus membrane perforation is not
observed, resulting in 97.7% success rate so far. This new surgical technique for sinus lift procedures utilizing Hatch
Reamer System can be considered relatively safe and useful in cases where there is insufficient bone height in posterior
maxilla.