Intraoperative bleeding during open flap debridement and regenerative periodontal surgery.

Background: The objective of this study was to measure the intraoperative bleeding during periodontal flap surgery.

Methods: Patients scheduled for periodontal surgery were recruited for this study. Data regarding smoking habits, general health, and medications were collected. The amount of the local anesthetic that was injected was then recorded, as well as the number of teeth in the operative field and the duration of the procedure. During surgery, the liquids from the oral cavity were suctioned and collected into a sterile empty vial. To calculate the net amount of blood volume in the liquids, colorimetric assay using capillary blood fructosamine as a reference molecule was used.

Results: Twenty-six patients were included in this study. The amount of blood lost during the procedure ranged from 6.0 to 145.1 mL, with an overall mean of 59.47 ± 38.2 mL. Patients taking aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) showed mean blood loss of 43.26 ± 31.5 mL, whereas the mean blood loss among patients that did not use this medication was higher (65.4 ± 39.4 mL) but not statistically significant. Local anesthetic amount, surgical field size, and the operation duration did not relate to blood-loss volume. The mean blood loss among current smokers was significantly higher (96.47 ± 44.2 mL) compared to former (12 ± 8.4 mL) or never (54.74 ± 30.5 mL, P = 0.011) smokers.

Conclusion: The results of the current study support previous papers and confirm that blood loss during periodontal surgery is minimal.