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Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Dynamic Navigation for Dental Implant Placement
Published on: September 13, 2022
Persistent hiccup reflex activation as a complication of dental implant surgery: a case report
Gianluca Porcaro1, Lucio Tremolizzo2, Ildebrando Appollonio2
1Dental Unit, 'San Gerardo' Hospital and School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
Abstract:
Persistent hiccup can conceal life-threatening clinical conditions of highly heterogeneous nature. Here, we report a case of a persistent hiccup that has been temporally associated with dental implant insertion in a patient with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. This 67-year-old patient underwent dental implant in area 36 and the procedure was performed without acute complications. A prolonged hiccup started ~48 h after the procedure: it failed to respond to several medications and it lasted for ~18 days, after which it spontaneously disappeared. Brain imaging and neurological examination were conducted in order to rule out organic conditions, even though all the investigations resulted to be negative. We suggest that the surgical procedure might have triggered a prolonged reflex activation. Knowledge about this complication of oral surgery procedure might be useful for avoiding unnecessary hospitalization or diagnostic tests.
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