ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study was performed to assess the extent of bleeding from minor oral surgical procedures in patients taking platelet-altering medications. They were compared with patients who were not taking platelet-altering medicines to assess differences in extent of blood loss. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective observational study design was used to quantitatively assess the amount and severity of bleeding encountered with dentoalveolar surgery in 2 groups. The experimental group consisted of people taking therapeutic doses of platelet-altering medications, and the control group was composed of patients who had not taken a platelet-altering medication for at least 10 days prior to surgery. Surgical blood loss was measured, and the groups were compared for statistically significant differences in blood loss. RESULTS: There was no difference in blood loss detected between the experimental or control groups. No bleeding complications were encountered. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that patients on aspirin and NSAIDs can safely undergo routine minor outpatient oral surgical procedures without modification of their platelet-altering medication.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/adverse effects , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/adverse effects , Aspirin/adverse effects , Blood Loss, Surgical , Oral Surgical Procedures/adverse effects , Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/adverse effects , Postoperative Hemorrhage/epidemiology , Analysis of Variance , Blood Platelets/drug effects , Blood Platelets/physiology , Case-Control Studies , Clopidogrel , Humans , Platelet Aggregation/drug effects , Platelet Aggregation/physiology , Prospective Studies , Ticlopidine/adverse effects , Ticlopidine/analogs & derivativesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Indications for grafting bone to the oral and facial skeleton are increasing as greater numbers of reconstructive procedures are performed. This article discusses a simple harvesting technique for autogenous bone. CASE DESCRIPTION: Successful outcomes of three grafted mal-union mandibular fractures and a grafted bilateral sinus lift procedure are reported. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This system allows for simple, rapid retrieval of autogenous bone in multiple surgical procedures requiring bone grafts, and can be performed by all dentists and dental specialists.
Subject(s)
Bone Transplantation/methods , Mandible/surgery , Tissue and Organ Harvesting/methods , Adult , Alveolar Ridge Augmentation/methods , Female , Fractures, Ununited/surgery , Humans , Male , Mandibular Fractures/surgery , Maxilla/surgery , Maxillary Sinus/surgery , Middle Aged , Transplantation, AutologousABSTRACT
Orbital floor fractures are common in midface trauma. While the mechanism which produces them is subject to debate, they are acknowledged to be difficult to diagnose solely through clinical means. In presenting the case of an orbital blow-out fracture caused by penetrating trauma, the author describes the successful diagnosis and surgical treatment of a "pure" fracture in which no globe trauma occurred.
