Short-term complications after surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion: a retrospective cohort study

Surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE) has been considered a safe procedure with minimal patient morbidity. The aim of this study was to identify short-term complications encountered after tooth-borne expansion with a standardized approach to inform surgeons and orthodontists of the patient risk. In this retrospective cohort study, 55 patients (35 female, 20 male) undergoing SARPE between January 2013 and December 2014 were evaluated. Twenty-eight patients developed one or more complications. Postoperative haemorrhage was seen in six patients. Sixteen patients presented with injury to the infraorbital nerve, five had dental complications, and four had severe postoperative pain. A prolonged hospital stay was necessary for six patients and additional surgery was required in two cases. It is concluded that the short-term complications after tooth-borne SARPE are generally mild; however, the number of complications encountered indicates that SARPE is not free of risk and should be preceded by careful patient selection and planning.