What Does Postoperative Recovery Involve in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?
Postoperative recovery in oral and maxillofacial surgery involves providing biological support for healing after a wide range of procedures, including orthognathic surgery, jaw reconstruction, tumor resection, cyst removal, surgery for jaw fractures and procedures involving irradiated or biologically compromised tissue.
In every case, healing of the jawbone and oral mucosa depends critically on adequate local oxygenation.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery in patients with reduced biological capacity as a result of radiotherapy, chronic infection or angiopathy carries an increased risk of complications, including delayed healing, wound dehiscence, flap necrosis and secondary infection.
Preventing these complications requires biological preparation before surgery and continued support during the postoperative period.
Characteristics of Jaw Tissue and High-Risk Patients
Jawbone has particular healing requirements. Revascularization and bone regeneration must progress alongside healing of the oral mucosa, while the tissues remain under continuous microbial pressure from the oral microbiome. If any one of these processes is impaired, the risk of complications increases.
In high-risk patients, particularly those with a history of radiotherapy or those receiving antiresorptive medication, postoperative healing may not progress normally without additional biological support.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons treating such patients recognise that technical surgical precision alone is not sufficient when the tissue lacks the biological capacity to respond effectively.
Scientific Studies
The evidence supporting the postoperative use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in oral and maxillofacial surgery is drawn primarily from three areas: research on osteoradionecrosis, studies of dental implants in irradiated jaws and the broader evidence concerning bone healing under hyperbaric oxygen conditions.
The common finding across these areas is improved bone and mucosal healing in tissues with reduced biological capacity.
Studies have reported faster closure of surgical wounds, lower rates of surgical failure, better quality of newly formed bone and a reduced need for repeat procedures in high-risk patients who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy during the postoperative period.
The Role of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Following oral and maxillofacial surgery, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be used as adjunctive biological support, usually beginning on the second or third postoperative day.
During the early phase, the objectives are to reduce postoperative inflammation and oedema, strengthen immune defence against possible infection and improve oxygen delivery to flaps and surgical wounds.
During the healing phase, treatment focuses on activating osteoblasts to support bone regeneration, stimulating neovascularisation to restore the vascular network and promoting effective healing of the oral mucosa.
The treatment course depends on the type of procedure and the patient’s level of risk. It typically consists of 10 to 30 sessions and is always planned in collaboration with the oral and maxillofacial surgeon.