Incidence of complications and problems related to orthognathic surgery: a review of 655 patients

Abstract

Purpose: This retrospective report evaluates the incidence of pre-, intra-, and postoperative complications of orthognathic surgery and their significance to the patient.

Patients and methods: The clinical records and radiographs of 655 patients operated on in Vaasa Central Hospital, Finland during a 13-year period between 1983 and 1996 were examined. The total number of operations was 689. All notes referring to problems or complications from the orthodontic phase to the varying postoperative follow-up times were gathered and analyzed.

Results: The most common complication was a neurosensory deficit in the region innervated by the inferior alveolar nerve; mild in 32% of patients (183 of 574 patients with an osteotomy in the mandible) and disturbing in 3% of patients (18/574). The most serious complication was severe intraoperative bleeding in 1 patient necessitating major blood transfusions and later embolization of the internal maxillary artery. There were no fatal complications. The incidence of other problems was low, and there were very few patient complaints.

Conclusions: Despite the great variety of severe complications reported in the literature, their frequency seems to be extremely low, and orthognathic surgery treatment can be considered to be a safe procedure.