Tahsin TEPECİK, Mehmet Zahit BAŞ, Sava BAYDAR, Bülent Barış GÜVEN
Anatolian Current Medical Journal - 2026;8(2):297-300
Aims: This study aimed to evaluate factors influencing length of hospital stay (LOS) after oral, dental, and maxillofacial surgery performed under general anesthesia and to identify perioperative predictors of prolonged stay. Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent oral, dental, and maxillofacial surgery under general anesthesia between 2017 and 2023. Demographic variables, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, surgical type, operative time, and LOS were recorded. LOS was categorized as <=1 day or >1 day based on the median value. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of prolonged LOS. Subgroup analyses were performed for major surgical categories. Results: A total of 257 patients were included (112 women, 145 men); 77.4% were ASA I. Overall, 52.1% were discharged within 24 hours, while 47.9% required more than 1 day of hospitalization. Longer operative time (p<0.001), orthognathic surgery (odds ratio [OR]: 3.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.39-6.89), and fracture surgery (OR: 5.25; 95% CI: 1.92-14.39) were independent predictors of prolonged LOS. Age, gender, and ASA classification showed no significant associations (p>0.05). In the orthognathic subgroup, operative time remained the only significant determinant (p=0.002). Conclusion: Prolonged LOS after oral, dental, and maxillofacial surgery under general anesthesia is associated primarily with surgical complexity and operative duration rather than demographic or ASA-related factors. Increased postoperative airway monitoring, edema management, and analgesic requirements in orthognathic and maxillofacial trauma surgeries contribute to extended hospitalization. Optimizing perioperative planning and postoperative care pathways may help reduce prolonged LOS in maxillofacial surgery practice.
