Effects of Local Ketamine in Orthognathic Procedures

Abstract

Orthognathic surgery is performed to correct congenital, developmental, or trauma-related skeletal deformities of the maxilla and mandible. These procedures involve multiple incisions, dissections, and osteotomies, leading to significant postoperative inflammatory responses and acute pain. Postoperative pain is a key factor influencing recovery, return to function, and length of hospital stay. Various analgesics have been used to manage pain after orthognathic surgery, including NSAIDs, opioids, acetaminophen, NMDA receptor antagonists, and long-acting local anesthetics. Ketamine is a well-known NMDA receptor antagonist with both central and peripheral analgesic effects. In subnesthetic doses, ketamine has been evaluated in various surgical fields for its potential to enhance analgesia when combined with local anesthetics, while minimizing systemic side effects. Studies have shown that local ketamine administration during cleft palate repair and third molar extractions can significantly reduce postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus. However, to date, no studies have investigated the effects of locally administered ketamine in orthognathic surgery. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the intraoperative and postoperative effects of local ketamine injection in this context.

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