Management of postoperative complications after lateral sinus floor augmentation: A multidisciplinary clinical consensus utilising the Delphi method.

This article presents an international multidisciplinary clinical consensus on managing postoperative complications following lateral sinus floor elevation (LSFE), a surgical procedure used to enable dental implant placement in the atrophic posterior maxilla. Using a modified Delphi method, 32 experts—including dental implant providers, maxillary sinus specialists, and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists—reviewed current evidence and formulated 20 statements addressing diagnosis, pharmacological treatment, surgical interventions, and implant maintenance. Consensus was reached on 15 key points, emphasizing that mild postoperative symptoms typically resolve within a week, radiographic assessment (notably cone beam computed tomography) is useful when complications are suspected, and pharmacological treatment should precede surgical graft removal in mild cases. Surgical options such as partial or total graft removal and functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) are recommended based on clinical response, while implant removal is advised in cases of severe peri-implantitis or implant dislocation. The consensus highlights variability in antibiotic regimens and intervention timing, underscoring the need for further research to standardize treatment protocols.