Effects of Oral Nutritional Supplement on Postoperative Orthognathic Surgery Patients' Nutritional Status: A Randomised Clinical Trial.

Purpose: Orthognathic surgery often leads to decreased nutrient intake and increased metabolic demands, potentially resulting in muscle mass loss and delayed recovery. The use of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) alongside nutritional counselling has been proposed to mitigate these effects. This study aimed to investigate the impact of ONS on the postoperative nutritional status of patients undergoing orthognathic surgery.

Patients And Methods: A 12-week randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. The recruitment period was extended from July to December 2022 due to unforeseen delays. Patients aged 18 or older, undergoing orthognathic surgery involving at least one jaw, and without metabolic diseases or allergies were included. The intervention group received nutritional counselling and ONS for one-month post-surgery, while the control group received only nutritional counselling. The primary outcome was nutritional status, assessed through anthropometric, biomarker, and muscle strength measurements at various time points.

Results: A total of 28 participants completed the study (control group: n=12, intervention group: n=16). Both groups experienced postoperative weight and muscle mass loss. While the intervention group showed a significantly lower weight loss at two- and four-weeks post-surgery, no significant differences were found in other nutritional status parameters or oral health-related quality of life between the groups after 12 weeks.

Conclusion: The addition of ONS to nutritional counselling did not significantly improve the overall nutritional status of orthognathic surgery patients in the long term. Further research is needed to explore more personalized and intensive nutritional interventions to enhance postoperative recovery in this population.

Trial Registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry, TCTR20220624006. Registered 24 June 2022.