Introduction: Orthognathic surgery is generally indicated for the treatment of maxillo-mandibular deformities. Surgery is performed to repair functional abnormalities, but also has a cosmetic impact.
Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 60 patients who underwent orthognathic surgery in 1996 and 1997 in order to assess patient perception of functional and cosmetic outcome. A questionnaire was sent to all patients one year after their surgery; 45 responded.
Results: We noted cosmetic, functional, and psychological changes. Patients considered that the changes were for the better. For functional abnormalities, 88.9% considered their occlusion had improved and 80% their chewing; 73.4% reported psychological improvement stating they had more self-confidence; 97.8% considered their cosmetic aspect had improved.
Discussion: This study enabled us to assess patients' perception of surgical outcome. It must be recalled that the patient basically decides to undertake surgery for cosmetic reasons while the surgeon proposes surgery to improve function. The psychological consequences of orthognathic surgery must be taken into account because the impact is considerable.