Complications associated with maxillary nerve block anaesthesia via the greater palatine canal

Abstract

This paper documents the type, frequency and duration of complications associated with regional anaesthesia of the maxillary nerve via the greater palatine canal in a series of 101 patients treated in the Oral Surgery Department, United Dental Hospital of Sydney.

A Prospective, Randomized Comparison of the Anesthetic Efficacy of the Greater Palatine and High Tuberosity Second Division Nerve Blocks

“…Stebbins and Burch (8) reported a 5% incidence in more than 2000 maxillary nerve blocks. Sved et al (25) reported a 36% incidence when using 2.2-8.8 mL of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine for second division nerve blocks via the greater palatine canal. The diplopia began for most subjects immediately after anesthetic solution deposition and generally dissipated before the soft tissue anesthesia wore off.…”

A Prospective, Randomized, Double-blind Comparison of the Anesthetic Efficacy of Two Percent Lidocaine with 1:100,000 Epinephrine and Three Percent Mepivacaine in the Maxillary High Tuberosity Second Division Nerve Block

“…Stebbins and Burch (8) reported 5% incidence in more than 2000 maxillary nerve blocks. Sved et al (30) reported 36% incidence when using 2.2-8.8 mL of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine for maxillary second division nerve blocks via the greater palatine canal. Broering et al (15) reported 10% incidence by using 3.6 mL of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine in the maxillary high tuberosity second division nerve block technique.…”

Relationship Between Volume of Pterygopalatine Fossa and Block Anesthesia of Maxillary Nerve: A Pilot Study

“…Diplopia was reported in 6 patients, 4 of the patients were administered 1.2 ml of anesthesia. This could have been the result of diffusion of the anesthetic into the orbit through inferior orbital fissure blocking VIth cranial nerve pair (Mahoney; Malamed; Tima; Magliocca et al) or excessive carpule depth of the needle from the oral cavity at the base of the skull (Sved et al, 1992). In the case of anesthesia through nostrils, anesthetic spreads through sphenopalatine foramen, which did not however result in greater patient discomfort.…”