Stellate Ganglion Block, Compared With Xenon Light Irradiation, Is a More Effective Treatment of Neurosensory Deficits Resulting From Orthognathic Surgery, as Measured by Current Perception Threshold.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of stellate ganglion blockade (SGB) versus xenon light irradiation (XLI) for the treatment of neurosensory deficits resulting from orthognathic surgery as determined by a comparison of prospective measurements of electrical current perception thresholds (CPTs) and ranged CPTs (R-CPTs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: CPT and R-CPT in the mental foramen area were measured during electrical stimulation at 98 different sites on the body in patients who had undergone orthognathic surgery. After surgery, patients were assigned to the SGB group or the XLI group. CPT and R-CPT of the 2 groups were measured at stimulation frequencies of 2,000, 250, and 5 Hz before surgery, 1 week after surgery, and after 10 treatment sessions. Furthermore, the influence of surgical factors, such as genioplasty and a surgically exposed inferior alveolar nerve (IAN), was examined in the 2 groups.

RESULTS: Patients' CPT and R-CPT values indicated a considerable amount of sensory disturbance in most cases after surgery. The change in magnitude of all CPT and R-CPT values for the SGB group decreased considerably compared with that for the XLI group after treatment. There was no correlation between CPT or R-CPT values and surgical factors (eg, genioplasty and exposure of the IAN).

CONCLUSION: SGB of the IAN could be an effective method for treating neurosensory deficits after orthognathic surgery on the IAN.