Young Adults' Experience of Appearance-Altering Orthognathic Surgery: A Longitudinal Interpretative Phenomenologic Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To gain an experiential account of the processes of change associated specifically with orthognathic surgery. DESIGN: A qualitative design was used. Semistructured interviews were carried out with 7 participants approximately 1 week before and 6-8 weeks after surgery. The data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenologic analysis (IPA). SETTING: Participants were recruited from a NHS Dental Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged 16 to 25 years scheduled to undergo orthognathic surgery on both the upper and lower jaws were purposively sought to participate. Seven participants aged between 18 and 25 years and who had undergone a bimaxillary osteotomy completed interviews (5 females and 2 males). RESULTS: Themes were identified in connection with the overall journey of treatment being a rite of passage; the treatment's role in raising awareness about the anomalies in appearance; the initial shock at the changes that followed surgery; the uncertainty about treatment; the impact of actual negative reactions of others; and the role of significant others in the decision-making process. CONCLUSIONS: Participants described undergoing a much more complex process of adjustment to change in appearance than has been identified elsewhere within the literature, and the study highlights the nuanced fashion in which both medical and parental communication influence patient expectation and experience of surgery. There is a need to improve communication between clinicians, families, and young adults seeking orthognathic surgery. Further studies are needed to investigate the processes associated with seeking to change facial appearance resulting from other forms of dentofacial condition.

Psychosocial Outcomes in Orthognathic Surgery: A Review of the Literature.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and critically appraise the literature on the psychosocial outcomes of orthognathic surgery, reflect on the clinical and theoretical implications, and suggest avenues for future research. DESIGN: A search of the literature was completed using the databases Web of Science, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO to identify English-language articles published since January 2001 that have reported a measure of psychosocial functioning posttreatment. RESULTS: A total of 38 articles were eligible for inclusion in the review. The studies reported improvements in areas such as satisfaction with facial appearance, self-confidence, self-esteem, anxiety, and social functioning. Small percentages of patients were left dissatisfied or had difficulty adjusting to appearance change despite the absence of treatment complications. Gains in psychosocial functioning were maintained over several years, and satisfaction increased over time. CONCLUSIONS: There are consistent positive outcomes reported as a result of orthognathic surgery, but conclusions are limited by methodological issues in study design such as small sample sizes, limited use of control groups, and measures that fail to tap into relevant areas of psychosocial functioning. In addition, further exploration is required of processes such as adjustment to facial change and the role of psychological support during treatment.