A national review of mandibular orthognathic surgery activity in the National Health Service in England over a nine year period: part 1--service factors

Influence of systemic comorbidities on the complications of orthognathic surgery: A scoping review

The potential impact of systemic comorbidities has not yet been thoroughly explored in orthognathic surgery. Therefore, the following scoping review was conducted to accumulate evidence on the possible impact of systemic comorbidities on the orthognathic surgery complications. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases were searched up to April 2022 to identify studies about patients with systemic comorbidities who underwent orthognathic surgery. A total of 12,938 articles were screened, and seven articles met the inclusion criteria. Only one study had control group, other six articles had a non-comparative study design. The current evidence suggests a high impact of rheumatic diseases and neuromuscular disorders on the surgery- and patient-related postoperative complications following orthognathic surgery. At the same instance, the findings of the review should be interpreted with caution due to a lack of substantial evidence for extrapolating the findings to a contemporary surgical practice.

Orthognathic patient perception of 3D facial soft tissue prediction planning

The primary aim of this study was to explore patients' perceptions regarding the impact of 3D prediction planning (3D PP) of facial soft tissue changes following orthognathic surgery. The study was carried out on 30 patients who were shown photorealistic 3D soft tissue prediction planning before undergoing orthognathic surgery to demonstrate the expected facial changes. Distraction osteogenesis and cleft deformities were excluded from the study before consenting to surgery. Following surgery, the included patients were asked to complete a standard questionnaire to explore their perceptions regarding the impact, accuracy, and value of 3D prediction planning. The majority of the 30 participants perceived 3D PP to be beneficial in reducing their presurgical anxiety, increasing their motivation to undergo surgery, improving the accuracy of their surgical expectations, and enhancing doctor-patient communication. Most of the patients perceived their surgical soft tissue changes to be better than the predictions. Significant positive correlations were detected between satisfaction with the delivered service and the facility of seeing 3D PP (r_s = 0.4; p = 0.034). Similarly, 3D PP improved patients' confidence in the surgical decision (r_s = 0.4; p = 0.031), as well as increasing their motivation to undergo surgery (r_s = 0.5; p = 0.010). 3D PP was found to be effective in improving the quality of orthognathic surgical care.

Operative time, length of stay and reoperation rates for orthognathic surgery

Orthognathic surgery improves quality of life in terms of oral function and facial aesthetics. Our aim was to establish and compare operative time and length of inpatient stay for orthognathic procedures, and to assess the reoperation rate. Departmental electronic data base was used to identify all patients undergoing orthognathic surgery in a single unit between the 01/01/2016 and the 01/08/2018. 251 patients were identified who underwent 409 orthognathic surgery procedures. The mean operating time for a bimaxillary osteotomy (n=107) was 139.3 min. For single jaw procedures, the mean operating time for a Le Fort I osteotomy (n= 42) was 82.2 min and for a bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) (n= 102) was 80.3min. Bimaxillary osteotomy combined with genioplasty (n=17) this increased the operating time on average by 31 min. and of a BSSO combined with a genioplasty (n=14) by 27 mins. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 1.2 ± 0.2 days. 96.4% patients spent only one postoperative night in hospital. 6/251 (2.4%) patients required re-operation. In regression analysis, age was the only significant factor in increasing length of stay (p<0.008), 95% CI 0.03-0.2). Our review shows short operating times and postoperative inpatient stays in a large cohort of patients undergoing orthognathic surgery. This is combined with a low reoperation rate. This may point to a patient benefit from high volume orthognathic centres.

Patient-Controlled Analgesia and Length of Hospital Stay in Orthognathic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE

The objective of this prospective, randomized controlled pilot study of patients undergoing orthognathic surgery was to compare the hospital length of stay (LOS) in patients using intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) versus patients receiving scheduled and as-needed oral analgesia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 40 patients (19 male and 21 female patients) aged 16 to 56 years (mean, 20.73 years; standard deviation, 6.87 years) were recruited prospectively and randomized to PCA and non-PCA groups of equal size. Recording of the patient-reported pain score using a visual analog scale was commenced at 8:00 am on day 1 after surgery until discharge. The pain score from routine nursing observations during the postoperative period was recorded until the patient was discharged from the hospital.

RESULTS

Randomization resulted in approximately equal proportions of male patients (45% vs 50%) and median ages (18.5 years vs 20 years) for the PCA group versus the non-PCA group; however, the PCA group was noted to have a higher proportion of double-jaw surgery (65% vs 40%). The median LOS was 2 days for both the PCA and non-PCA groups (P = .06). No statistically significant difference in pain scores was found between the 2 groups either at rest (P = .27) or on movement (P = .13).

CONCLUSIONS

No evidence was found to indicate the superiority of either the PCA or non-PCA regimen with respect to LOS and pain scores; however, this is not evidence of equivalence of the 2 pain management approaches.

Improved Short-Term Outcomes following Orthognathic Surgery Are Associated with High-Volume Centers

BACKGROUND

Previous studies assessing outcomes following orthognathic surgery rely primarily on single-center/surgeon experience. In addition to issues of generalizability, these studies are limited in evaluating the effect of operative volume on patient outcomes.

METHODS

Orthognathic procedures were identified in the 1999 to 2011 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Outcomes included occurrence of any in-hospital complication, extended length of stay (>2 days), and increased costs (>$10,784). High-volume hospitals were defined as the 90th percentile of case volume or higher (>31 cases/year). Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify independent predictors of outcomes. Trend analyses were performed to assess changes in the annual rate of patients treated at high-volume hospitals over the study period.

RESULTS

Among 101,692 orthognathic surgery patients, 19.6 percent underwent concurrent ancillary procedures (i.e., genioplasty, rhinoplasty, or septoplasty), and 37.6 percent underwent double-jaw surgery. Fifty-three percent were treated at high-volume hospitals. High-volume hospitals more often performed ancillary procedures (21.4 percent versus 17.4 percent; p < 0.001) and double-jaw surgery (41.3 percent versus 33.4 percent; p < 0.001). After adjustments for clinical and hospital characteristics, patients treated at high-volume hospitals were less likely to experience any complication (OR, 0.75; 95 percent CI, 0.70 to 0.81; p < 0.001) and extended length of stay (OR, 0.71; 95 percent CI, 0.68 to 0.75; p < 0.001). There was a 2 percent annual increase in the rate of patients treated at high-volume hospitals over the study period (incidence rate ratio, 1.02; 95 percent CI, 1.01 to 1.03; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of orthognathic cases nationwide are performed at a small number of high-volume hospitals. These hospitals discharge patients earlier, perform more complex procedures, and have fewer complications.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Risk, III.

Precision of Le Fort I osteotomy: planning versus outcome. A multi-centre retrospective study

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of Le Fort I surgery by comparing planned surgical movements with actual outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A minimum number of seven consecutive cases that had undergone a Le Fort I osteotomy procedure alone or in combination with a mandibular osteotomy from six different hospital units in the East of England between 2009 and 2010 were identified. A total of 56 cases met the inclusion criteria where surgical splints were used and model surgery had been performed. Pre- and post-operative lateral cephalograms were digitised using Dolphin^© imaging software (Version 10.0) and three cephalometric points were assessed to measure precision of surgical movements: A point (A-pt); Upper incisor tip (U1 tip); and Upper first molar occlusal point (U6 occ). The final position of the maxilla was compared to the planned position.

RESULTS

In 71% of cases surgical movements were within 2 mm and 20% of this group were within 1 mm of the predicted position. The mean accuracy was 1.39 mm (SD 0.92 mm) for the former and 0.78 mm (SD 0.58 mm) for the latter. Accuracy correlated negatively with increased surgical complexity, particularly posterior differential impactions of the maxilla. There was no statistically significant difference between centres.

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-operative surgical planning of Le Fort I osteotomies was generally accurate. This study demonstrates that different operators across six centres produced consistent surgical outcomes and this confirms previously reported data.

Maxillary advancement versus mandibular setback in class III dentofacial deformity: are there any differences in aesthetic outcomes?

A retrospective evaluation of maxillary advancement and mandibular setback in class III patients was performed and their aesthetic outcomes compared. Patients with a sella-nasion-A-point angle (SNA) of 80-84° were selected. Pre- and postoperative lateral cephalograms were obtained for 34 class III patients; these were divided into two groups according to the surgical procedure performed: mandibular setback group (n=17) and maxillary advancement group (n=17). The pre- and postoperative cervical length, lip-chin-throat angle, lower/upper lip thickness, distance from the lower/upper lip to the aesthetic line, soft tissue angle, facial contour angle, and nasolabial angle of the two groups were compared. Significant differences were observed for cervical length (P=0.0003) and sex (P=0.003) when comparing maxillary advancement with mandibular setback. Although the preoperative cervical length was similar in the two groups, it increased significantly after maxillary advancement and decreased after mandibular setback. In this study, the differences in aesthetic outcomes depending on the surgical procedure performed were considered. Some aesthetically important parameters proved to be superior after maxillary advancement when compared to mandibular setback, even with the maxilla in the normal position.

Operative Time, Airway Management, Need for Blood Transfusions, and In-Hospital Stay for Bimaxillary, Intranasal, and Osseous Genioplasty Surgery: Current Clinical Practices

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to assess operative time, perioperative airway management, early postoperative cardiopulmonary health, need for blood transfusion, and in-hospital stay associated with simultaneous bimaxillary, intranasal, and osseous genioplasty surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The authors executed a retrospective cohort study derived from patients treated by 1 surgeon at a single institution from 2009 through 2014. The sample consisted of a consecutive series of patients with symptomatic chronic obstructed nasal breathing and a dentofacial deformity (DFD). All underwent at least a Le Fort I osteotomy, sagittal ramus osteotomies, septoplasty, inferior turbinate reduction, and osseous genioplasty. For each patient, the design of the osteotomies and the fixation techniques were consistent. The outcome variables included need for blood transfusion, operating time, success of nasotracheal intubation, time and place of extubation, early postoperative cardiopulmonary health, length of in-hospital stay, and need for readmission after surgery.

RESULTS

For the 166 patients studied, the average age was 25 years (range, 13 to 65 yr; 87 female patients [52%]). The primary patterns of presenting DFD included long face (43 of 166, 26%), maxillary deficiency (41 of 166, 25%), asymmetric mandibular excess (37 of 166, 22%), short face (28 of 166, 17%), and mandibular deficiency (15 of 166, 9%). Forty-two patients (25%) were confirmed to have symptomatic obstructive sleep apnea. The open wound operating time averaged 2 hours 59 minutes (standard deviation, 32 minutes). Only 3 of the 166 patients (1.8%) received blood transfusions. All patients underwent successful nasotracheal intubation. Ninety-six percent of patients were extubated in the operating room and the remaining 4% were extubated in the recovery room. No patients required reintubation or tracheostomy. One hundred thirty-seven patients (83%) were discharged after a 1- or 2-night in-hospital stay. Twenty-five (15%) required a 3-night stay and 4 (2%) required a 4-night hospital stay to achieve adequate oral intake. None of the patients required readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms efficient surgical and anesthesia care for patients undergoing simultaneous bimaxillary orthognathic, intranasal, and osseous genioplasty. Anticipating safe nasotracheal intubation with extubation soon after surgery and a limited need for blood transfusion has proved to be the norm. This study confirmed an average in-hospital stay of 2 nights after complex orthognathic surgery without need for readmission.

Seeking beauty: understanding the psychology behind orthognathic surgery

Orthognathic surgery to correct serious skeletal discrepancies of the jaw improves both function and appearance, but patients should spend a lot of time thinking about, discussing, and planning operations that have such a considerable impact. The drive to improve appearance by such radical means is based on social and personal reasons, and this must be understood before treatment is considered. In this paper, we will review studies on the psychology of orthognathic surgery.

Treatment time and occlusal outcome of orthognathic therapy in the East of England region

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the process of combined orthognathic and orthodontic care. To identify factors that affect treatment time and percentage Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) reduction, and the PAR efficiency factor for such cases.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Retrospective multi centre study of patients who underwent orthognathic treatment in the East of England region.

METHODS

Analysis of consecutive cases that underwent orthognathic surgery in 2008. Inclusion criteria included pre- and post-surgery orthodontic treatment.

RESULTS

Ten orthodontic units submitted data for a total of 118 patients. Within the sample, 64% were class III, 35% class II/1 and 1% class II/2. Overall extraction rate, excluding third molars, was 58%. Median age at bond up was 17 years. Mean total number of orthodontic attendances was 23. Median length of pre-surgical orthodontics was 23 months and post-surgical orthodontics was 7 months. Median length of total treatment was 29 months. Mean wait for surgery was 3·6 months. Diagnosis of incisor relationship and skeletal base, transfer of operator, total number of visits, tooth extraction and treatment unit affected treatment duration. Median pre- and post-treatment PAR scores were 43 and 4, respectively. Median change in PAR score was 38·5. Median per cent reduction in PAR was 90·6%. The median PAR efficiency factor (reduction in PAR score divided by treatment time in months) was 1·24. Diagnosis of incisor relationship and skeletal base correlated with percentage reduction in PAR score.

CONCLUSIONS

Combined orthognathic treatment was effective. Factors affecting treatment duration and percentage reduction in PAR have been established.

Centralisation of services for children with cleft lip or palate in England: a study of hospital episode statistics

Background

In 1998, a process of centralisation was initiated for services for children born with a cleft lip or palate in the UK. We studied the timing of this process in England according to its impact on the number of hospitals and surgeons involved in primary surgical repairs.

Methods

All live born patients with a cleft lip and/or palate born between April 1997 and December 2008 were identified in Hospital Episode Statistics, the database of admissions to English National Health Service hospitals. Children were included if they had diagnostic codes for a cleft as well as procedure codes for a primary surgical cleft repair. Children with codes indicating additional congenital anomalies or syndromes were excluded as their additional problems could have determined when and where they were treated.

Results

We identified 10,892 children with a cleft. 21.0% were excluded because of additional anomalies or syndromes. Of the remaining 8,606 patients, 30.4% had a surgical lip repair only, 41.7% a palate repair only, and 28.0% both a lip and palate repair. The number of hospitals that carried out these primary repairs reduced from 49 in 1997 to 13, with 11 of these performing repairs on at least 40 children born in 2008. The number of surgeons responsible for repairs reduced from 98 to 26, with 22 performing repairs on at least 20 children born in 2008. In the same period, average length of hospital stay reduced from 3.8 to 3.0 days for primary lip repairs, from 3.8 to 3.3 days for primary palate repairs, and from 4.6 to 2.6 days for combined repairs with no evidence for a change in emergency readmission rates. The speed of centralisation varied with the earliest of the nine regions completing it in 2001 and the last in 2007.

Conclusions

Between 1998 and 2007, cleft services in England were centralised. According to a survey among patients’ parents, the quality of cleft care improved in the same period. Surgical care became more consistent with current recommendations. However, key outcomes, including facial appearance and speech, can only be assessed many years after the initial surgical treatment.

Influence of single-jaw surgery vs bimaxillary surgery on the outcome and duration of combined orthodontic-surgical treatment

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the effects of single-jaw surgery (mandible or maxilla only) vs bimaxillary surgery on final peer assessment rating (PAR) score outcome and overall treatment duration.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Treatment records of 63 consecutively treated orthognathic patients were assessed; 41 underwent bimaxillary procedures, and the remainder single-jaw procedures. All treatment was undertaken at Kent and Canterbury Hospital in the United Kingdom. Demographic characteristics and clinical parameters, including treatment duration, number of visits required, initial and final PAR scores, and number of extractions undertaken, were recorded.

RESULTS

The mean treatment time was 30.6 months; treatment time was shortest in the maxillary procedure only group. The mean reduction in percentage PAR score was 77%, with an average final score of 9. Linear regression analysis confirmed that procedure type had no influence on final PAR score (P = .62) or on overall treatment duration after adjustment for extractions and initial PAR score as confounders (P = .47).

CONCLUSIONS

No significant difference was noted in treatment duration or in occlusal outcome between single- and double-jaw surgeries.

Human masseter muscle fiber type properties, skeletal malocclusions, and muscle growth factor expression

PURPOSE

We identified masseter muscle fiber type property differences in subjects with dentofacial deformities.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Samples of masseter muscle were collected from 139 young adults during mandibular osteotomy procedures to assess mean fiber areas and percent tissue occupancies for the 4 fiber types that comprise the muscle. Subjects were classified into 1 of 6 malocclusion groups based on the presence of a skeletal Class II or III sagittal dimension malocclusion and either a skeletal open, deep, or normal bite vertical dimension malocclusion. In a subpopulation, relative quantities of the muscle growth factors IGF-I and GDF-8 gene expression were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Fiber properties were not different in the sagittal malocclusion groups, but were very different in the vertical malocclusion groups (P ≤ .0004). There were significant mean fiber area differences for type II (P ≤ .0004) and type neonatal-atrial (P = .001) fiber types and for fiber percent occupancy differences for both type I-II hybrid fibers and type II fibers (P ≤ .0004). Growth factor expression differed by gender for IGF-I (P = .02) and GDF-8 (P < .01). The ratio of IGF-I:GDF-8 expression associates with type I and II mean fiber areas.

CONCLUSION

Fiber type properties are very closely associated with variations in vertical growth of the face, with statistical significance for overall comparisons at P ≤ .0004. An increase in masseter muscle type II fiber mean fiber areas and percent tissue occupancies is inversely related to increases in vertical facial dimension.