Objective: To decrease the postoperative pain and the probability of intraoperative complications during intraoral removal of an elongated styloid process.
Study design: A prospective, clinical trial.
Methods: Twenty-seven patients with 45 elongated styloid processes underwent surgery. There were 24 females and 3 males, with a mean age of 47.1 years. A simple visual analogue scale was used to assess pre- and postoperative pain. The length and medial and anterior angulation of each process were measured on lateral skull and Towne projection. During the surgery, after tonsillectomy was performed, the styloid process was identified and the process was stripped off proximally using a ring curette. The muscles and ligaments were in continuity with the periosteum, and attachments to the periostem were not disrupted.
Results: No intraoperative complications were seen. Only 2 of 45 procedures did not result in a decrease in pain, and a success rate of 95.6% was achieved by this modified surgical method.
Conclusions: Excision of the styloid process without disturbing the attachments of the muscles and ligaments to the periosteum of the process is an important factor in relieving postoperative pain and complications.