The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a modified surgical protocol and the survival of implants placed in the posterior maxilla. Forty-two implants were placed in the maxillary posterior area of 29 partially edentulous patients (17 men, 12 women; mean age 50 years; range 38 to 62 years) according to the modified surgical protocol. Twenty-nine of these implants had been placed into the maxillary tuberosity. All implants were checked radiologically every 12 months with a customized film holder. The restorations were fixed partial prostheses. Only 1 of the 42 implants was lost at stage 2 surgery. Results suggest that considerable benefits may be obtained by modifying a standard surgical protocol to maximize the results for a particular anatomic site. Keywords: fixed partial prosthesis, maxillary tuberosity, modified surgical protocol, standardized radiographic follow-up