Application of SurgiCase-CMF Software for Patients with Facial Asymmetry in Orthognathic Surgery

The present study assessed the value of SurgiCase-CMF software in orthognathic surgery for patients with asymmetry. The study consisted of 20 patients with facial asymmetry who visited the Department of Orthodontics in the School of Stomatology, China Medical University, between April 1, 2011, and June 1, 2012. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental and a control group. Twelve patients in the experimental group underwent 3D-CT scanning before and 6 months after operation. The CT data were stored in DICOM format and imported into SurgiCase-CMF software. Virtual surgery was performed in order to correct asymmetry deformities until a satisfactory outcome was obtained using the software. The reposition distances of bone segments were recorded. The rapid prototypes made by CAD/CAM technique were used to perform operation by surgeons according to virtual surgery design. Actual operations were then performed. The 8 patients in the control group underwent panoramic film photography, but did not experience virtual surgery using the SurgiCase-CMF software. The actual operations planning were designed according to clinical examination results. The follow-up period was 6 months. All the patients in the experimental group were satisfied with their facial appearance, while 4 patients in the control group complained about their asymmetrical appearance on follow-up. In the experimental group, SurgiCase-CMF software was also used to indicate important landmark points, lines and angles in order to compare the postoperative symmetry of both sides. Paired t-tests were used, and there was no significant difference between the parameters from the left and right sides, which indicated that the patient with presurgical asymmetry deformities obtained osseous relative symmetry 6 months after operation. We came to the conclusion, therefore, that SurgiCase-CMF software can provide not only effective assistance in orthognathic surgery planning design but also postoperative evaluation of patient operations.