UNLABELLED: This study was conducted on patients undergoing third molar surgery to evaluate their opinions on surgery and the follow-up period. Two groups were formed, as patients were able to choose between local anaesthesia alone or with additional conscious sedation by means of intravenous Midazolam. METHODS: A total of 426 patients ranging in age from 11 to 61 years (mean 20.8 years) participated, 335 of whom preferred Midazolam sedation (0.1 mg/kg) while 91 voted for local anaesthesia only. During the operation an impacted lower third molar was removed by osteotomy, and in 80% of these cases the upper third molar on the same side was also removed. A questionnaire on the operation, the follow-up period, postoperative pain and use of analgesics was distributed before the event. RESULTS: Women and younger patients preferred conscious sedation. Surgery was described as significantly less distressing by the sedated group (diagram 1), whereas there was no difference in views of the follow-up period or postoperative pain. Patients in the Midazolam group took more analgesics on postoperative days 1-3. Nonsedated men tended to evaluate surgery as more distressing than women in the same group, while there were no sex differences in the Midazolam group. CONCLUSION: Following the evaluation of surgery as more "pleasant" by sedated patients, it might be expected that this would contribute to a similar experience of the follow-up period. In this study, however no such connection was found. It is possible that preoperative self-selection of the patients (more sensitive and cautious persons preferred conscious sedation) might be responsible for these results.
UNLABELLED: This study was conducted on patients undergoing third molar surgery to evaluate their opinions on surgery and the follow-up period. Two groups were formed, as patients were able to choose between local anaesthesia alone or with additional conscious sedation by means of intravenous Midazolam. METHODS: A total of 426 patients ranging in age from 11 to 61 years (mean 20.8 years) participated, 335 of whom preferred Midazolam sedation (0.1 mg/kg) while 91 voted for local anaesthesia only. During the operation an impacted lower third molar was removed by osteotomy, and in 80% of these cases the upper third molar on the same side was also removed. A questionnaire on the operation, the follow-up period, postoperative pain and use of analgesics was distributed before the event. RESULTS:Women and younger patients preferred conscious sedation. Surgery was described as significantly less distressing by the sedated group (diagram 1), whereas there was no difference in views of the follow-up period or postoperative pain. Patients in the Midazolam group took more analgesics on postoperative days 1-3. Nonsedated men tended to evaluate surgery as more distressing than women in the same group, while there were no sex differences in the Midazolam group. CONCLUSION: Following the evaluation of surgery as more "pleasant" by sedated patients, it might be expected that this would contribute to a similar experience of the follow-up period. In this study, however no such connection was found. It is possible that preoperative self-selection of the patients (more sensitive and cautious persons preferred conscious sedation) might be responsible for these results.