Objective To investigate the effects of the cognitive behavior therapy on anxiety for postoperative patients with oral and maxillofacial malignant cancer in surgery intensive care unit. Methods A total of 82 patients with oral and maxillofacial malignant tumor who accept surgery from January 2014 to September 2016 were chosen and averagely divided into intervention group with cognitive behavior therapy based on control group and control group taking routine nursing and general psychological care by random number table in SICU. The application of self-evaluation of anxiety scale (SAS) evaluation of anxiety level before and after the intervention in patients with and without improvement, and compare the two groups of stay in SICU patients satisfaction evaluation intervention is effective. Results Compared with control group, the cognitive behavioral therapy, after intervention group patients with SAS scoring[(50.56 ± 6.52) ]points SAS scores than the control group [(57.51 ± 6.11)] points decrease, the difference was statistically significant (P<0. 01);intervention group check in SICU satisfaction (97.6％,40/41) also better than the control group (90.2％, 37/41), the difference was statistically significant (χ2=7.527, P < 0.05). Conclusion cognitive behavioral therapy can effectively reduce the anxiety of postoperative patients with oral and maxillofacial malignant cancer in SICU, and effectively improve the comfort level and satisfaction in SICU.