Quality-of-Life Assessment in Orthognathic Surgery Patients: The effect of Orthognathic Surgery on Aesthetic Perception, Psychosocial Well-Being, and Oral Function
Amr Bayoumi, Moyyad Alkayyal, Maha Alsharif, Shahad Alsharif, Nada Albeesh, Maisa O. Al-Sebaei*
Purpose: People with dentofacial deformities experience functional difficulties, aesthetic impairments, and psycho-social issues. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of orthognathic surgery on the quality of life (QoL) of patients.
Material and Methods: The subjects for this study were patients who underwent orthognathic surgery at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. A total of 29 participants responded to the QoL questionnaire. The questions were asked in both the pre-treatment phase and post-treatment phase. Each phase consisted of the following three main areas: facial aesthetics, psycho-social satisfaction, and oral function. A scoring system “satisfaction score” was calculated by taking the average measure and converting it to a 100-point scale, where 0 is extremely dissatisfied and 100 is extremely satisfied. A paired Student’s t-test was used to compare the satisfaction score mean measures at two time points (pre-treatment and post-treatment). Statistical significance was set at a p-value < 0.05.
Results: There was a statistically significant improvement in the satisfaction score of facial aesthetics between the pre-treatment and post-treatment periods in both males and females (p < 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively). There was no improvement in the psychosocial satisfaction score in the post-treatment period in males (p < 0.343). However, a statistically significant improvement was found in females (p < 0.016) regarding psycho-social satisfaction. The oral function satisfaction score improved in both females and males (p < 0.042 and p < 0.001, respectively).
Conclusion: Orthognathic surgery can have a positive effect on the QoL of the patient. A thorough discussion with the patient should occur in the pre-treatment phase to determine the patient’s motive and expectations.
