Use of Virtual Surgical Planning in Oral Surgery: A Systematic Review

TL;DR

This systematic review shows that virtual surgical planning improves accuracy and reduces surgery time in oral surgery, though it comes with higher costs.

Contribution

The study systematically evaluates VSP's effectiveness in oral surgery using PRISMA guidelines and a broad range of study types.

Findings

VSP improves surgical accuracy compared to traditional methods.

VSP reduces operative times in oral surgery procedures.

Higher material costs and inconsistent results remain challenges for VSP.

Abstract

Virtual surgical planning (VSP) represents a significant advancement in craniomaxillofacial surgery by utilizing 3D imaging and computer-aided techniques to enhance precision and improve surgical outcomes. This research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of VSP in comparison to traditional surgical planning methods. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of studies published between 2000 and 2024, sourced from MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE. A total of 22 studies, including cohort, case-control, and randomized controlled trials, were analyzed to assess the impact of VSP on surgical accuracy, procedure duration, and patient outcomes. The findings revealed that VSP improves surgical accuracy and reduces operative times compared to conventional methods. However, challenges such as higher material costs and occasional inconsistencies in results remain. Despite these challenges, VSP holds significant potential to enhance precision and efficiency in oral surgery.

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