The conventional treatment of
odontogenic cysts usually involves enucleation of the
cyst using rotary and manual instruments; such procedures can cause
trauma to the cystic epithelium or soft tissues in the region, such as sinus membrane perforation or nerve damage. The use of
ultrasonic surgery may reduce the risk of damage to soft tissues. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of
ultrasonic surgery in removing
odontogenic cysts. Eighty-two
cysts were removed from 68 patients over a period of 45 months.
Ultrasonic surgery was used for 34 patients and conventional
surgical procedures were used for 34 control patients. Two surgeons rated the cutting efficiency, visibility of the surgical field, ease of operation, and ease of
cyst epithelium removal on a 100-mm visual analogue scale. The operation time was also recorded. No major intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed, and there was no
cyst recurrence.
Ultrasonic surgery for enucleating
jaw cysts was found to increase the operation time, but also markedly increased the visibility of the operation field. In cases where
cyst enucleation is performed in difficult areas that require delicate manipulation, there is less risk of damage to vital structures such as neurovascular tissues with
ultrasonic surgery.