Retrospective Evaluation of the Effect of Tenoxicam and Paracetamol Applied as Intraoperative Analgesics During Orthognathic Surgery on Postoperative Pain

Objective: Postoperative pain caused by orthognathic surgery significantly affects patient comfort. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids and opioid analgesics can be used to relieve postoperative pain. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the effect of tenoxicam and paracetamol administered intraoperatively during orthognathic surgery on postoperative pain. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted with 63 files in accordance with the determined criteria. For postoperative pain control, patients were divided into two groups according to the types of analgesics administered. Patients who were administered tenoxicam 20 mg (35 patients) or paracetamol 10 mg/kg (28 patients) IV without extubating were included in the study. In the follow-ups in the postoperative period, the values at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h from the visual analogue scale (VAS) data, the presence of nausea and vomiting and the need for opioid analgesics were evaluated in the files recorded. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in VAS values between the tenoxicam group and the paracetamol group in the postoperative follow-up. Nausea and vomiting were higher in the tenoxicam group than in the paracetamol group, but no statistically significant difference was observed. Also found no significant difference in rescue opioid requirements. Conclusion: When intraoperative tenoxicam administration and paracetamol administration were compared in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery, lower VAS scores were observed and analgesic efficacy was found to be sufficient in patients in the tenoxicam group, but no statistically significant difference was found. Similarly, statistically close results were found between the presence of nausea and vomiting and the need for rescue opioids.