Validation of a New Anesthesia Technique for Invasive Treatment in the Forehead and Temple: A Split-Face Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Anatomy
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Conventional zygomaticotemporal nerve (ZTn) anesthesia requires deep insertion, leading to significant patient discomfort.
• A superficial ZTn (sZTn) has been identified, potentially offering a less painful injection method.
• Ultrasonography is crucial for anatomical assessment and guiding novel injection techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy and patient experience of a novel superficial ZTn injection technique against the conventional deep ZTn method.
• To evaluate differences in anesthesia area, pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale - VAS), and anatomical variations using ultrasonography.

Main Methods:

• A split-face randomized study involving 24 adult patients.
• Ultrasonography was used to determine nerve depth and guide injections.
• Lidocaine with epinephrine was administered via conventional and novel superficial ZTn techniques; outcomes were assessed using VAS, skin temperature, and sensory tests.

Main Results:

• The novel superficial ZTn injection technique resulted in significantly lower mean VAS pain scores (2.4 ±1.1) compared to the conventional method (3.7 ± 1.1).
• Statistically significant differences were observed in touch sensation and skin temperature between the two injection techniques.
• The study included 19 females and 5 males, with an average age of 29.3 ± 3.7 years.

Conclusions:

• The novel superficial ZTn injection technique provides comparable anesthetic effects to the conventional method but with significantly reduced injection pain.
• This technique is a viable and less painful option for achieving anesthesia in the temporal area for aesthetic procedures.