Surgery-First Approach in the Orthognathic Patient

The surgery-first approach (SFA) has become a recent alternative to the conventional 3-stage approach to orthognathic surgery. Skeletal anchorage in orthodontics has facilitated the resurgence of this treatment sequence. By eliminating the presurgical phase of orthodontic treatment, patients have immediate resolution to their facial deformity. Treatment duration has been shown to be reduced; the difference with the conventional approach being approximately 5 months. Patient satisfaction with this approach is very high as measured by quality-of-life surveys. This article describes the indications and step-by-step approach of this technique in conjunction with virtual surgical planning.