COMPARISON OF THE ANALGESIC EFFICACY OF LORNOXICAM VS TRAMADOL IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT FOLLOWING MANDIBULAR THIRD MOLAR SURGERY- A SPLIT-MOUTH STUDY

AbstractBackground: Surgical extraction of third molars is one of the most frequently performed procedures in oral and maxillofacial surgery. It often causes excruciating postoperative pain, swelling, and discomfort, so effective pain management is crucial for improving patient outcomes and satisfaction during the recovery phase. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) and opioids continue to be the most popular pharmacological agents utilised for postoperative analgesia. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of Lornoxicam v/s Tramadol, in the surgical extraction of third molars. Materials and methods: A split-mouth study was conducted in patients who required bilateral surgical extraction of third molars. Group A received Tab. Lornoxicam 8 mg and Group B received Tab. Tramadol 50 mg. Postoperative parameters such as pain, swelling, side effects, patient satisfaction, and compliance were assessed on postoperative Days 1 and 3. Results: The Lornoxicam group demonstrated significantly lower mean VAS scores on postoperative days 1 and 3, a longer time first to rescue, and fewer adverse effects compared with the tramadol group. Conclusion: Oral lornoxicam provided superior analgesia and an improved adverse-effect profile compared to tramadol for postoperative pain after third-molar surgery. Lornoxicam can be considered an effective single-dose option in this setting. Key words: Surgical extraction, Lornoxicam, Tramadol, Impacted third molars, adverse effects, Pain.