Videoscope assisted minimally invasive surgery (VMIS): 36-month results

Background: Clinical outcomes from videoscope assisted minimally invasive surgery (VMIS) at 36 to 58 months are reported. Methods: Fourteen patients having sites with residual probing depth (PD) of at least 5 mm and 2 mm loss of clinical attachment level (CAL) after initial non-surgical therapy were treated with VMIS. Results: At 36 months or greater post-surgery there was a statistically significant improvement (P <0.001) in mean PD and CAL (PD: 3.80 ± 1.18 mm, CAL: 4.16 ± 1.18 mm) in all surgical sites compared with baseline. There was a mean improvement in soft tissue height (0.36 ± 0.64 mm, P = 0.03). In most cases, patients reported no postoperative discomfort. Conclusions: Improvements from VMIS appear to be favorable when compared with previously reported results of periodontal regenerative surgery. All improvements were stable over time. The lack of post-surgical recession after VMIS has not been reported with traditional regenerative surgery.