FARIAS, R. N.; FARIAS, Rodrigo Nóbrega de.
Abstract:
The buccal adipose body, formerly known as Bichat's ball, is a mass of fatty tissue,
well vascularized, limited by muscles buccinator, masseter, ascending branch of the
mandible and by the zygomatic arch. Removal surgery of this structure aims to
improve the facial contour in the middle third region. In order to alleviate the signs
and inflammatory symptoms, such as pain and edema, in the postoperative period,
new methods have been sought, improving the quality of life of patients in the
postoperative period of surgical procedures. Low intensity laser therapy comes every
day gaining more space in therapy in various specialties, such as in the treatment of
aphthous lesions, in the recovery of paresthesia and in the reduction of postoperative
inflammatory events, by interacting with the cells of the organism, stimulating the
cellular metabolism. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy
of this type of treatment in the reduction of painful symptomatology and edema in the
postoperative period in the removal of the oral adipose body. The sample included 10
patients. The pain was evaluated through the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), where
the patients assigned a numerical value in the scale to determine the level of pain at
the time, the appointments were made in the immediate postoperative period, with 24
hours and 7 days after surgery. The edema was evaluated by the linear
measurement between predetermined points: lateral corner of the eye / angle of the
mandible, tragus / labial commissure and tragus / pogonium, these measurements
were made in four moments: preoperative, immediate postoperative, with 24 hours
and with 7 days. The data were submitted to statistical analysis: test t and Mann-
Whitney test (U), and it was observed that there was no statistical difference between
the side that received the laser treatment and the untreated side. The laser
contributed to reduce pain and edema, although there was no statistical difference
with the control side.