Large-Scale Study of Long-Term Vertical Skeletal Stability in a Surgery-First Orthognathic Approach Without Presurgical Orthodontic Treatment: Part II

The surgery-first approach (SFA) is a new paradigm in orthognathic surgery. In our experience over the last 10 years, SFA, particularly for the correction of the class III dentofacial deformity and facial asymmetry, has demonstrated high success rates without any major complications. However, many craniofacial surgeons remain concerned about the skeletal stability of SFA. In the present study, the authors aimed to compare the traditional and SFA with regard to the long-term outcomes of vertical skeletal stability using large-scale data. The authors enrolled patients with skeletal class III dentofacial deformities who had undergone and completed orthognathic surgery between December 2007 and December 2015. The inclusion criteria were based on the presurgical simulation of the dental model, and the authors predicted the potential of the SFA based on this preoperative simulation model. Patients with cleft-related syndromes, and those who had undergone orthognathic surgeries for facial asymmetry or class II deformity were excluded. A total of 104 and 51 class III patients were enrolled in the surgery-first and traditional orthodontics-first groups, respectively. Satisfactory results were achieved in all 155 patients with dentofacial deformity. The initial preoperative measurements of cephalometric analysis, particularly vertical skeletal stability, were similar and well maintained after the procedure in both groups. In conclusion, the SFA without any presurgical orthodontic treatment for correcting dentofacial deformities can achieve similar long-term vertical stability results to the orthodontic treatment-first approach.