Scalpel Versus Diathermy in Wound Healing After Mucosal Incisions: A Split-Mouth Study.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the healing of scalpel and diathermy incision wounds in the oral mucosa.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This is a prospective split-mouth study conducted from January 2015 to April 2017 among patients undergoing either Le Fort I or anterior maxillary osteotomy (or both). The study groups were classified based on the different techniques used to make the incision (group A, incision made by a scalpel; group B, incision made by diathermy). Wound healing was assessed on the first, third, seventh, and tenth postoperative days using the Southampton scoring system. Data were statistically analyzed using the Student t test for continuous variables and the χ2 test for categorical variables, and P < .05 was considered significant.

RESULTS:

Among the 113 participants included in the study, the age range was 16 to 35 years and male patients comprised 50.4%. The rates of postoperative complications of wound healing were 68.1% (n = 77) in group A and 77% (n = 87) in group B. Wound healing showed a statistically significant difference between the techniques (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

The findings of this study suggest that wounds caused by scalpel incisions healed better than those caused by diathermy incisions in the oral mucosa.

• Authors: P U Abdul Wahab, Marimuthu Madhulaxmi, Periyasamy Senthilnathan, Marimuthu Ramaswamy Muthusekhar, Yogaen Vohra, Rajendra Prabhu Abhinav
• Journal: Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery : official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (J Oral Maxillofac Surg) Vol. 76 Issue 6 Pg. 1160-1164 (Jun 2018) ISSN: 1531-5053 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 29406253 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2018 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Diathermy (methods)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Maxillary Osteotomy (methods)
• Mouth Mucosa (surgery)
• Osteotomy, Le Fort
• Postoperative Complications (prevention & control)
• Prospective Studies
• Surgical Instruments
• Wound Healing (physiology)