Tibial bone harvesting under intravenous sedation: Morbidity and patient experiences

Purpose: The aims of this study were to evaluate the complication rate, the recovery, and the experience in patients undergoing tibial bone harvesting under intravenous sedation. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective study of 10 consecutive patients who underwent unilateral or bilateral sinus grafting with tibial bone grafts under intravenous sedation in a 3-month period in the oral and maxillofacial surgery outpatient clinic. All medications used perioperatively were recorded. Postoperative analgesic requirements were evaluated, along with patient recovery and complications and the patients' subjective experiences. Results: All patients underwent unilateral tibial bone harvesting using a nontrephination technique under sedation with meperidine and methohexital. On average, 11.3 mL of compressed marrow was harvested. All patients described a sensation of scraping intraoperatively but not of severe pain. On average, patients required narcotic analgesics for 1.2 days postoperatively and non-narcotic analgesics for 10.2 days. Discomfort and a gait disturbance were present for an average of 9 to 10 days. There were no wound complications, and all patients were satisfied with the recovery and donor site. Conclusions: Tibial bone harvesting under intravenous anesthesia in an office setting is well tolerated and well accepted. The postoperative recovery and complication rate also seem to compare favorably with those of tibial grafting under general anesthesia. (C) 2002 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.