A retrospective analysis of 20 surgically corrected bimaxillary protrusion patients

This paper presents a retrospective review and analysis of 20 bimaxillary protrusion patients who visited the authors' hospital between 1986 and 1998 following surgical correction. The lateral cephalometric radiographs of each patient were taken preoperatively (T0), within 1 week after surgery (T1), and at least 1 postoperative year later (T2). Hard and soft tissue analysis was performed on each cephalometric radiograph. The matched pair t test was employed for T0-T1, T1-T2, and T0-T2 periods. The sample consisted of 20 Korean adult patients with bimaxillary protrusion (18 women and 2 men), aged 21 to 33 years. The first premolars were removed in 18 of the 20 cases. The Wunderer method was selected in 18 of the 20 maxillary cases, and the anterior subapical osteotomy was selected in all mandibular cases. Augmentation genioplasty was combined in 3 cases, and reduction glossoplasty was combined in 2 cases. Orthodontic treatment was accompanied in 8 cases. The statistical analysis of all the variables revealed that, except for overbites, there were significant differences between T1-T2 and between T0-T2 periods (P < .01). This suggests that most of the bimaxillary patients want instant esthetic facial results and that their soft tissue profiles were improved significantly. However, the postoperative course should be cautiously observed.