Does achieving apical patency increase postoperative pain during endodontics?

The meta-analysis indicates that during the initial post-operative period, apical patency significantly reduces postoperative pain. However, the findings should be interpreted cautiously due to high heterogeneity and variable evidence quality. Given that apical patency is seen as desirable for achieving the biological aims of endodontic treatment, the fact that it also appears to reduce post-operative pain helps to align patient reported outcome measures with traditional measures indicating success.