Complications in Orthognathic Surgery

Complications in orthognathic surgery may be major or minor and present in an immediate or a delayed fashion. Complexity of the surgery and anatomic or systemic patient issues can play a role in specific types of complications. As a group, complications fall into one or more of the following general areas: vascular, neural, infectious, unanticipated fractures, malocclusion, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, dental injuries, mal-or nonunion, and miscellaneous. The approach to orthognathic surgical complications addressed in this chapter is divided into two areas: prevention and management. Prevention focuses on the preoperative evaluation, whereas the intraoperative surgical management may result in complications that are not completely in the control of the surgeon and often requires immediate attention. Many of the undesirable results are caused by errors in the preoperative clinical examination. While virtual planning has helped in this phase of treatment, attention to detail is paramount in the data gathering and treatment planning stages of care.