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Not yet recruiting NCT07723326

Comparison of Electrocautery and Scalpel Blade Incisions of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars

No phase Interventional Impacted Mandibular Third Molar

For patients and families

In plain language

An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.

What is being studied
The protocol lists: scalpel blade incision, electrocautery incision.
Who it may be relevant to
Registry conditions: Impacted Mandibular Third Molar. Basic parameters: 15 years — 65 years · All.
What needs checking
Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
Where it takes place
Pakistan
Next step
Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →

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Official title

Comparison of Electrocautery and Scalpel Blade Incisions on Postoperative Pain, Intraoperative Blood Loss, and Wound Healing Following Surgical Extraction of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Overview

This randomized controlled trial aims to compare electrocautery and scalpel blade incisions during surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. The study will evaluate postoperative pain, intraoperative blood loss, and wound healing in patients undergoing third molar surgery. A total of 78 participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a scalpel blade incision or an electrocautery incision under standardized surgical conditions.

Detailed description

Surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars is one of the most common procedures in oral and maxillofacial surgery. The type of incision used may influence postoperative outcomes, including pain, bleeding, and wound healing. Electrocautery offers simultaneous cutting and coagulation, potentially reducing intraoperative blood loss and improving surgical visibility, whereas scalpel incisions produce precise tissue cuts without thermal injury.

This prospective, two-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial will compare electrocautery and scalpel blade incisions in patients undergoing surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. Seventy-eight participants will be randomly assigned to either Arm A (scalpel blade incision) or Arm B (electrocautery incision). All other surgical and perioperative variables, including local anesthesia, flap design, irrigation, suture material, and postoperative medications, will be standardized.

The primary outcome is postoperative pain assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale at 24 hours, 48 hours, and 7 days. Secondary outcomes include intraoperative blood loss and wound healing assessed using the Landry Wound Healing Index at 1 and 4 weeks. The findings of this study will provide evidence regarding the most appropriate incision technique for impacted mandibular third-molar surgery.

Interventions

  • Procedure scalpel blade incision
    A sterile No. 15 stainless-steel scalpel blade will be used to make the mucoperiosteal flap incision during surgical extraction of the impacted mandibular third molar.
  • Procedure electrocautery incision
    A fine electrocautery electrode in cutting mode at a standardized effective power setting will be used to make the mucoperiosteal flap incision during surgical extraction of the impacted mandibular third molar.

Primary outcome measures

  • postoperative pain [Time frame: 24 hours, 48 hours, and 7 days after surgery.]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
  • intraoperative blood loss [Time frame: During surgery (from first incision to final suture).]
  • wound healing [Time frame: 1 week and 4 weeks after surgery.]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

  • Male and female patients.
  • Age 15 to 65 years.
  • Patients requiring surgical extraction of an impacted mandibular third molar. Patients classified as ASA I or ASA II.
  • Patients willing to provide written informed consent, or assent with parent/guardian permission where applicable, and attend scheduled follow-up visits

Exclusion criteria

  • \* Patients with uncontrolled systemic disease or immuno-compromised status.
  • Patients with bleeding disorders or those taking anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs that cannot be safely withheld according to physician advice.
  • Patients with pacemaker or implanted electrical cardiac device.
  • Pregnant or lactating patients.
  • Patients with acute infection, pericoronitis, facial space infection, or pus discharge at the surgical site at the time of surgery.
  • Patients requiring bilateral third-molar extraction in the same sitting.
  • Patients unwilling to participate or unable to return for follow-up.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation
Randomized
Model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single blind
Primary purpose
Treatment

Study locations

Pakistan · 1 center
  • Islamic International Dental Hospital — Islamabad

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07723326 · IIDC/IRC/2026/7/001

Primary sources (government registries)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗