Predicting Patient Satisfaction with Bimaxillary Surgery Outcomes: A Functional MRI Study of Neural Responses to...

This study aimed to utilize functional MRI (fMRI) to assess neural responses to pre- and post-bimaxillary surgery self-images to establish an objective predictor of patient satisfaction with the surgical results.

This prospective study included 16 patients who underwent bimaxillary surgery. Patients' fMRI data were obtained while viewing their self-images before and after surgery. Statistical analysis was performed using SPM12 software to identify changes in neural activation levels.

Greater activations were recorded in the right middle frontal gyrus, right superior occipital gyrus/right superior parietal lobule, and right middle occipital gyrus in response to post-surgery images (false discovery rate-corrected p < 0.001). A positive correlation was found between patient satisfaction and the activation of the right superior temporal and precentral gyri when viewing pre- and post-surgery self-images, respectively.

Distinct neural activation patterns were observed when viewing preoperative and postoperative self-images, suggesting that fMRI could serve as a potential tool for predicting patient satisfaction with surgical outcomes. The activated brain regions may represent sites of esthetic satisfaction, aligning with patients' self-reported satisfaction levels.