Abstract
Objectives: The excision of an inflamed operculum can be achieved using a conventional surgical knife (scalpel) or laser. In the current systematic review and meta-analysis, the pain and healing outcomes resulting from these two distinct operculectomy techniques were compared at various follow-up intervals. Methods: A comprehensive electronic search was conducted for studies published in English up to September 2023, focusing on the outcomes of operculectomy procedures using scalpel and laser techniques. The search encompassed PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase, Cochrane, and Scopus databases. The risk of bias was assessed with Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2. Stata 17 software was used to perform a meta-analysis. Results: Seven studies were included, involving a total of 170 patients. The analysis revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in pain levels between the two groups on the second day (P = 0.07) and seventh day (P=0.10) follow-ups. Similarly, the healing index showed no significant variance between the two groups on the seventh day (P=0.34) and 14th day (P = 0.39) follow-ups. Conclusions: The meta-analysis indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in pain and healing outcomes resulting from operculectomy using a scalpel versus a diode laser. Nonetheless, further randomized clinical trials with larger sample sizes are required to establish definitive results. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42022327014).
Published Version
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