Role of anesthetic techniques in trigeminocardiac reflex during oral surgery of the mandible under local anesthesia.

UNLABELLED: İNTRODUCTION: The trigeminocardiac reflex is a clinically important autonomic response to trigeminal stimulation, particularly characterized by heart rate reduction; however, its behavior under local anesthesia is not well defined. This prospective clinical study investigated the impact of different local anesthesia techniques on the incidence and hemodynamic characteristics of the trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR) during mandibular nerve stimulation in awake patients.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Forty individuals undergoing surgical extraction of impacted mandibular teeth were enrolled. To minimize vasovagal influence, anxious patients were excluded. Group-1 received a Gow-Gates mandibular nerve block, whereas Group-2 received an inferior alveolar nerve block with supplementary buccal anesthesia. Heart rate (HR) and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) were continuously monitored throughout local anesthesia administration and all surgical stages.

RESULTS

TCR-compatible bradycardia occurred in 30% (12/40) of patients, most frequently during anesthetic injection and mucosal manipulation, including flap elevation, and suturing.A significantly higher incidence of the TCR was observed in Group 1.The maximum HR reduction recorded was 43.5%. The linear progression of stage-specific baseline MABP and HR values showed a significant decrease during curettage/irrigation and suturing.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrate that the TCR can occur during oral surgery performed under local anesthesia, typically at mild levels, and that the anesthesia technique influences its incidence. This study contributes to the current literature by evaluating the prophylactic potential of different local anesthesia techniques in oral surgery and by integrating anxiety assessment to enhance methodological robustness.