Early Orthognathic Surgery: A Review

Abstract

Introduction: Management of growing patients with severe developmental jaw abnormalities can be very difficult. Early surgical intervention may be warranted in situations where function (e.g., mastication, swallowing, breathing, or speech) and/or psychological well-being could be negatively affected. Many surgeons and orthodontists are reluctant to recommend a surgical treatment option for growing patients with severe developmental jaw abnormalities because of their age. Specific surgical procedures can be performed during growth to correct developmental jaw abnormalities with predictable results. A sound understanding of the facial growth and the effects of the surgical procedures on subsequent growth is essential when managing growing patients with severe developmental jaw abnormalities. Children with severely progressive congenital deficiencies affecting function/health should be distinguished from ones with severe developmental jaw abnormalities that can be managed later in life. In this review, we will focus on the management of growing patients with developmental jaw abnormalities who seek orthodontic treatment, rather than patients with progressive congenital deformities affecting function and/or health.

Early Surgery: Le Fort I Advancement in a 6-Year-Old Patient—A Therapeutic Approach Using a Modified Le Fort I Osteotomy

“…However, treating these patients with jaw abnormalities during their growth poses a challenging problem for both orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons. One of the problems is the uncertain postoperative growth tendency, as there is no concrete consensus regarding the age limits for orthodontic or maxillofacial therapies [ 15 ]. The most compelling reason for early surgical correction before facial growth is finished is often the psychosocial component of the growing patient.…”

Emergence from Anesthesia: A Comparison between Isolated Mandibular Setback and Bimaxillary Orthognathic Surgeries in Skeletal Class III Patients

“…This type of surgery has gradually developed into a widely-performed and routine surgical procedure with minimal complications 3 . With the adoption of new orthognathic surgical techniques, the introduction of modified surgical and fixation tools, along with the widened field of its indication; have all contributed to a higher level of surgeon expertise in performing orthognathic surgeries which renders this procedure to be much less time consuming and much more reliable and accurate [10][11][12] . On the other hand, intraoperative complications can always be a problem and cause prolonged operation duration 9,13 .…”