Preparation, perceptions, and problems: a long-term follow-up study of orthognathic surgery

Follow-up of patients who have undergone orthognathic surgery is well documented in the literature, usually in the form of questionnaire-based studies or clinical interviews. However, there have been few long-term follow-up investigations. This study aimed to look at the long-term outcomes of such operative procedures. Questionnaires were sent to 68 patients who had undergone joint orthodontic and orthognathic surgery procedures 5 to 16 years previously, after the patients were contacted by telephone to learn the nature of the study. The 49 responses were compared with a previously analyzed preoperative group and a short-term postoperative group (1 to 3 years following surgery) from the same institution. Respondents showed high levels of satisfaction overall, with the majority believing they had made the correct decision to undergo surgery. The main problem areas identified were those concerning presurgical explanations and lack of advice regarding side-effects. This area requires improvement as postsurgical dissatisfaction can be minimized by accurate descriptions of the treatment. A number of respondents reported persistent lip paresthesia and continued limitation of mouth opening. However, the majority of patients commented that these persistent symptoms had no effect on their daily life.