Analgesic requirements after orthognathic surgery.

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Anesthesiology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Orthognathic surgery involves significant surgical manipulation, often associated with substantial postoperative pain.
• Effective pain management is crucial for patient recovery and satisfaction following orthognathic procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the postoperative analgesic requirements in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery.
• To assess the impact of a minimal analgesic protocol on pain management and medication use.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 45 patients who underwent orthognathic surgery.
• Comparison of analgesic use between a group treated before and a group treated after implementing a minimal analgesic protocol.

Main Results:

• Before the protocol, 21 of 25 patients required narcotic analgesics.
• After the protocol, only 5 of 20 patients needed mild analgesics, and 1 required narcotics.
• A significant reduction in the need for potent pain medication was observed.

Conclusions:

• A minimal analgesic protocol appears effective in managing postoperative pain after orthognathic surgery.
• Factors like paresthesia, immobilization, and premedication may also influence pain perception.
• Optimized analgesic strategies can decrease reliance on narcotic medications.