A comparative evaluation of transdermal diclofenac patch with oral diclofenac sodium as an analgesic drug following periodontal flap surgery: A randomized controlled clinical study.

BACKGROUND Pain is an inevitable outcome of any periodontal surgery. Controlling postoperative pain is of utmost importance so as to increase patient compliance. The present study aims to compare the degree of postoperative analgesia with the use of oral diclofenac sodium and transdermal diclofenac patch following periodontal flap surgery in patients with chronic periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 20 patients requiring full mouth flap surgery were selected for this study. Flap surgery was performed quadrant-wise and transdermal diclofenac patch was applied on the right arm following surgery of one of the quadrants and 100 mg oral diclofenac sodium twice daily was prescribed following surgery of the subsequent quadrant. The postoperative pain was recorded on visual analog scale and pain intensity scale 24 h after the surgery. RESULTS Both the statistical and clinical observation showed that diclofenac sodium administered transdermally has equal efficacy as compared to drug administered orally. CONCLUSION The study concludes that the diclofenac administered transdermally has equal potency in relieving postoperative pain as compared to orally administered diclofenac sodium following modified flap surgery. Transdermal patch has an added advantage of better patient compliance as it does not cause gastric disturbance.