Evaluation of Periorbital Edema and Ecchymosis After Osteotomy in Septorhinoplasty Cases by Measuring Bone Density and Thickness

Abstract

Purpose: Periorbital edema and ecchymosis that may occur after surgery in septorhinoplasty patients who have undergone lateral osteotomy are common morbidities and are seen as the main limiting factors for the recovery process of the patients. There are many different studies in the literature about the causes of periorbital edema and ecchymosis. In this study, the authors aimed to investigate the possible relationships between the bone density and bone thickness measured in the frontal process of the maxillary bone, and postoperative periorbital edema and ecchymosis, which are suitable for the osteotomy lines that they will detect in computerized tomography. Methods: Between January 1, 2019 and November 11, 2020, 59 patients whose nasal pathologies were determined by paranasal sinus computed tomography examination due to nasal deformity and nasal deformity and who underwent septorhinoplasty operation were included in this study. Bone density and thickness measurements were performed on the frontal process of the maxillary bone in accordance with the lateral osteotomy lines on the lateral nasal wall in each patient, right and left side. According to the bone density values measured at the point determined on the lateral osteotomy line, 2 groups were formed as “very dense” and “less dense.” According to the bone thickness values of the patients, 2 groups were determined as “thick” and “thin.” Thus, the authors investigated the relationship between periorbital edema and ecchymosis on the postoperative first, third, and seventh days obtained from the examination files of the patients. Findings: When bone density subgroups are examined, it has been shown that the degree of periorbital edema of the patients in the “very dense” and “less dense” group categories decreased from the first day to the seventh postoperative day. The degrees of periorbital edema on the third postoperative day were statistically higher in the “less dense” group than in the “very dense” group. In the authors' study, no correlation was found between the degrees of postoperative periorbital edema and ecchymosis and bone density subgroups on other days. While an increase was observed in the periorbital ecchymosis grades of the patients in the “less dense” subgroup category from the first day to the third postoperative day, the periorbital ecchymosis grades of the patients in the “very dense” subgroup category decreased from the first day to the third day. In both subgroups, the lowest periorbital ecchymosis levels were observed on the postoperative seventh day. When bone thickness subgroups are examined, it has been shown that the degree of periorbital edema of the patients in the “thick” and “thin” group categories decreases from the first day to the seventh day postoperatively. When the bone thickness subgroups were examined, the periorbital ecchymosis degrees of the patients in the “thick” and “thin” group categories increased on the third postoperative day, while it reached the lowest level on the postoperative seventh day. There was no significant difference between the first, third, and seventh-day periorbital edema and ecchymosis conditions in the “thick” and “thin” groups. Conclusion: The authors observed that periorbital edema and ecchymosis that may occur after septorhinoplasty can be affected by the variable features of the lateral nasal wall bone structure. The authors conclude that the changes in the healing process can be affected by different bone density values in particular.