Efficacy of Hilotherapy face mask in improving the trend of edema after orthognathic surgery: a 3D analysis of the face using a facial scan app for iPhone.

PURPOSE: Cryotherapy after orthognathic surgery is essential for the control of facial edema. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy of Hilotherapy face mask in reducing facial edema after orthognathic surgery, studying facial surfaces with an innovative, fast, economical 3D facial scan system based on an iPhone app. METHODS: Eighty-four patients with Class III were included: 35 patients treated with Hilotherm after orthognathic surgery (Group 1), 32 patients with ice packs (Group 2), 7 patients who refused cryotherapy (not 1 - not Group 2). Their facial scans performed immediately after surgery (T0), at 24 (T1), 48 (T2) and 72 h (T3) after surgery, were acquired in specific software, and the discrepancies between them were studied in an accurate 3D volumetric method. RESULTS: We measured a significantly better edema trend in Group 1 in the tragus-nasal wing line and in the tragus-labial commissure line at T1, and also in the tragus-menton line at T2 and T3. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, Hilotherapy represents a more comfortable and more effective cryotherapy system in controlling the trend of facial edema after orthognathic surgery. The method we used for the facial scans is accurate, cheap, smart, and fast. As demonstrated by the 3D volumetric study of the face, the regions of the middle third of the face are those in which the difference is most noticeable.