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Patient satisfaction after trigeminal nerve repair
Natalie P Lam1, R Bruce Donoff, Leonard B Kaban
1School of Dental Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, Mass, USA.
Summary
More than half of patients reported good to excellent satisfaction after inferior alveolar or lingual nerve repair. Patient satisfaction was not linked to specific predictor factors but was associated with functional outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Patient Outcomes Research
Background:
- Inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) and lingual nerve (LN) injuries can significantly impact quality of life.
- Nerve repair outcomes are often assessed through objective measures, but patient-reported satisfaction is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify patient satisfaction following IAN or LN repair.
- To identify factors influencing patient perceptions of surgical outcomes for these nerve repairs.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study design.
- Inclusion of patients who underwent IAN or LN repair.
- Assessment of overall patient satisfaction categorized as good to excellent (Group A) versus fair to poor (Group B).
Main Results:
- The study included 46 patients (76% female, mean age 28 years).
- 55% of patients reported good to excellent overall satisfaction.
- No individual predictor factors were statistically associated with patient satisfaction.
- Measures of taste, pronunciation, self-consciousness, and function showed significant differences between satisfaction groups (P <.05).
Conclusions:
- Over half of patients achieve good to excellent satisfaction after IAN or LN repair.
- While specific predictors were not identified, functional outcomes significantly correlate with patient satisfaction post-nerve repair.