Evaluation of the relationship between body mass ındex and postoperative morbidity of ımpacted third molar surgery

Impacted third molar surgery is one of the most common procedures in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Although it is expected to have complications such as edema, pain, trismus and infection postoperatively, the research studies maintain their frequency in order to reduce the discomfort of patients during the healing process. Our study aimed to examine the relationship between body mass index and postoperative morbidity after third molar surgery. 80 patients were divided into four groups as "underweight, normal, overweight and obese" according to the body mass index described by World Health Organization. Patients' edema, and mouth opening, local blood flow were measured preoperatively and also on the 2nd and 7th days following the surgery. Postoperative pain scores and the frequency of infection, alveolitis and wound dehiscence were also recorded at follow-up examinations. As a result, operation time measurements were significantly higher in the favor of overweight (15.6 ± 5.12 min.) and the obese groups (16.35 ± 5.91 min.)(p<0.05). Edema increase rate in underweight patients (9.11± 2.46%) was significantly higher than the obese patients' increase rate (6.01±3.3%) (p<0.05). There was no other significant difference between the measurements of determined parameters. It was concluded that BMI did not have a significant effect on trismus and pain intensity postoperatively. The operation times are prolonged in obese and overweight patients, but edema is relatively more visible in the underweight group due to the insufficent thickness of skin and subcutaneous fat tissue.