Effects of patient- and operation-related factors on postoperative pain after orthognathic surgery.

[PURPOSE] This study aimed to assess the association between patient- and operation-related factors and postoperative pain in patients undergoing intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy (IVRO) or IVRO + genioplasty (GeP) for the treatment of mandibular prognathism.

[MATERIALS AND METHODS] A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate postoperative pain for 2 days in 63 patients who underwent orthognathic surgery (42 IVRO and 21 IVRO + GeP). Correlations between VAS and patient age, sex, blood loss, operation time, and intraoperative reduction in blood parameters were assessed and compared between IVRO and IVRO + GeP procedures.

[RESULTS] Mean operation time and blood loss were 252.02 minutes and 99.64 mL in the IVRO group and 317.62 minutes and 187.86 mL in the IVRO + GeP group, respectively. Operation time, blood loss, and postoperative reduction in blood parameters were significantly greater in the IVRO + GeP group than in the IVRO group. Mean VAS scores on the first and second postoperative days were 3.02 and 1.33 in the IVRO group and 2.95 and 1.14 in the IVRO + GeP group. However, postoperative pain did not differ significantly between the IVRO and IVRO + GeP groups on the first or second postoperative day.

[CONCLUSIONS] Postoperative pain associated with orthognathic surgery was acceptable, controllable, and not different between IVRO and IVRO + GeP procedures.