Patient satisfaction following orthognathic surgical correction of skeletal Class III malocclusion.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the relationship between preoperative psychologic status and attitude and postsurgical adjustment and experience of the surgical treatment. Questionnaires were sent to 140 consecutive Chinese patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion who had been treated with a combined orthodontic-surgical approach. The results showed the following: (1) immediately after the surgery 44% of patients had more pain, 57% had more numbness, and 73% had more swelling than expected; (2) most patients underwent noted marked changes in facial appearance (96%) and dental appearance (91%); (3) chewing ability improved in 71% of patients; (4) half of those with temporomandibular joint problems preoperatively experienced improvement; (5) personality and lifestyle were affected positively in about 50% of patients; (6) satisfaction with the treatment increased with time: 87% at 6 months and 92% at 24 months; and (7) a few patients (8%) regretted having undergone surgery, mainly because facial changes were not apparent. The vast majority of the present Chinese skeletal Class III patients were satisfied with the overall outcome of the continued orthodontic-surgical treatment.