Postoperative discomfort in oral soft tissue surgery: a comparative perspective evaluation of Nd:YAG Laser, quantic molecular resonance scalpel and cold blade

AIM: The aim of this paper was to compare pain, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and need for painkillers during the postoperative course of oral soft tissue surgery performed with neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser, quantic molecular resonance (QMR) scalpel and cold blade.METHODS: One-hundred and sixty-three similar surgical interventions were subclassified as follows: group 1 (G1), 77 cases performed with Nd:YAG laser; group 2 (G2), 45 cases performed with QMR scalpel and group 3 (G3), 41 cases performed with cold blade. Pain was evaluated using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and a Verbal Rating Scale-6 (VRS-6) on the same day of surgery (day 0), and at 1, 3 and 7 days after surgery. The HRQoL was evaluated on day 7 using a 0-45 score range questionnaire. On day 7, painkillers taken were recorded.RESULTS: No statistically significant differences could be highlighted in the VAS and NRS scores at day 1, 3 and 7. A trend toward significance at day 0 was evident, with a VAS and NRS average scores lower in G1 than G2 and G3. With regard to VRS-6, the scores resulted statistically lower in G1 than G2 and G3 at day 1 and 3. The HRQoL in G1 was statistically lower than G3.CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that the use of new technologies in oral soft tissue surgery is associated to a reduction of postoperative discomfort. The better HRQoL and the lower postoperative pain observed in laser-treated patients may be associated to the possible bio-modulating effect of the laser.