Sublabial excision versus transnasal endoscopic marsupialization for nasolabial cysts: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the intraoperative and postoperative outcomes of sublabial excision and transnasal endoscopic marsupialization, the two primary surgical approaches for nasolabial cysts. DESIGN AND SETTING: A comprehensive meta-analysis of studies identified from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. PARTICIPANTS: Patients diagnosed with nasolabial cysts who underwent surgical treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Operative time, postoperative pain, overall postoperative complications, admission rate, length of hospital stay, use of general anaesthesia, medical costs, and recurrence rate. RESULTS: The pooled analysis revealed that the transnasal endoscopic marsupialization group had shorter operative time (mean differences [MD], -32.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], -38.52 to -26.51), reduced postoperative pain (MD, -4.25; 95% CI, -7.62 to -0.89), fewer overall postoperative complications (risk difference [RD], -0.68; 95% CI, -0.90 to -0.46), lower admission rates (RD, -0.86; 95% CI, -1.11 to -0.61), shorter hospital stays (MD, -1.74; 95% CI, -2.58 to -0.89), decreased use of general anaesthesia (RD, -0.40; 95% CI, -0.76 to -0.03), and reduced medical costs (MD, -229.69; 95% CI, -338.64 to -120.75). The recurrence rate between the two groups showed no significant difference (RD, -0.01; 95% CI, -0.05 to 0.04). CONCLUSION: Transnasal endoscopic marsupialization presents as a promising alternative to sublabial excision in the treatment of nasolabial cysts. It offers advantages like reduced operative time, decreased postoperative pain, fewer complications, lower admission rates, shorter hospital stays, diminished need for general anaesthesia, and cost savings. Clinicians can leverage these findings to select the most suitable surgical approach for their patients.