Mike's surgery involved the removal of his soft palate, part of tissues in his throat and his left tonsil. Without the soft palate his voice changed, became very nasal and certain sounds were very difficult to pronounce. With the addition of the prosthesis, his voice returned to 95-98% of its pre-surgery quality.

Upper partial plate with soft palate prosthesis at the back.

During radiation there were times he was unable to wear his prosthesis. The swelling in his throat caused problems such as gagging and abrasion. The prosthedontist made adjustments, but this was avoided in the last few weeks to prevent too many changes.