Quality of life of patients following orthognathic surgery

The aim of this study was to evaluate how patients with dentofacial deficiency who have undergone orthognathic surgery perceive their quality of life (QoL) with respect to functional, esthetic, and psychosocial issues. In an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive, and quantitative study, 10 patients who had undergone orthognathic surgery answered questionnaires used internationally for assessing QoL: the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Oral Health Impact Profile 14 (OHIP-14), and Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ). In addition, the patients completed the Self-Perception Questionnaire of Esteem, Appearance, and Interpersonal Relationships (ASR-26), which explored the differences between their current self-esteem, appearance satisfaction, and interpersonal relationships and their memories of their presurgical feelings about those topics. The data were submitted to descriptive and multivariable statistical analyses. There was a statistically significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative periods regarding self-esteem, appearance satisfaction, and professional relationships (P < 0.05). The data collected with the SF-36, OHIP-14, and OQLQ questionnaires showed high internal consistency (Cronbach α coefficient). The index (mean) scores for the SF-36 (81.5), OHIP-14 (0.6), and OQLQ (5.0) were close to the conditions of high QoL. Principal component analysis revealed 3 distinct groups of patients, and 70% of patients composed a group with high QoL scores, showing no complaints of physical pain, functional limitation, psychological discomfort, social disability, or excessive concern about their oral condition. In this small sample of patients, orthognathic surgery resulted in improved health-related QoL with variations among patients regarding physical pain, psychological discomfort, oral function, facial esthetics, physical function, social function, and self-awareness of facial deformity. The results of this study indicate the importance of applying a questionnaire in individuals who have undergone orthognathic surgery to investigate their personal motivations for treatment and which physical, social, and psychological problems are limiting their QoL.