Impact of orthognathic surgery on quality of life and comparison of patients' postoperative experience after single- and double-jaw surgery: a longitudinal study.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of orthognathic surgery on quality of life (QoL) and to compare single- and double-jaw surgeries in terms of ratio and patient perceptions of the postoperative period.

Study Design: A prospective, longitudinal observational study was conducted. The short form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and the Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ) were applied preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively to evaluate oral health-related QoL (OHRQoL). Additionally, patient perceptions of the immediate postoperative period were assessed at the first and fourth week after surgery.

Results: One hundred consecutive patients were recruited and assigned to the single-jaw group (n = 24) or the double-jaw group (n = 76) according to the characteristics of each facial or occlusal deformity. The questionnaires showed lower scores for both groups after surgery, indicating significant benefits to OHRQoL. The whole sample OHIP-14 mean total scores decreased from 10.5 to 2.8 (P < .001, d = 1.35), whereas OQLQ showed a decrease from 48.4 to 11.6 (P < .001, d = 1.75).

Conclusions: Orthognathic surgery can improve OHRQoL, and long-term benefits outweigh the risks and discomfort associated with the treatment.