Psychological Evaluation of Patients submitted to Orthognatic Surgery

Valéria Cristina ZANE, Liliam D’Aquino TAVANO, Suely Prieto de Barros Almeida PERES

Congenital palatal fissures can lead to facial prognatism. Surgical treatment of this condition implies a painful recovery process, which is due to restrictive conditions of speech and food intake after surgery; this can lead to weakening the patient’s psychological defenses. This study is an attempt to evaluate and discuss the psychological aspects of patients submitted to orthognatic surgery. Ten adult patients from both sexes, admitted to the Hospital de Reabilitação de Anomalias Crânio Faciais da Universidade de São Paulo (Bauru-SP), were studied. Evaluation of the psychological condition of the patient was performed through a previously elaborated “Entrevista Estruturada”; which was used in three different moments: before surgery (M1), on the day the patient left the hospital (M2), and late post surgery, 30 to 40 days after the patient left the hospital (M3). Results show that on M1, 90% of the patients were highly motivated for surgery with the expectation of stetical and/or functional improvement. All patients demonstrated knowledge related to the necessary limitation of food intake on the period that followed surgery. M2 showed that food intake restriction was accepted by 90% of the patients. At this time, referred symptoms were: weakness (60%), insomnia (20%), hunger (10%), weight loss (70%) and also a postsurgery depressive state (80%). Food intake limitation may have led to the observed psico-emotional effects and weight lost. M3 demonstrated that the greatest difficulties were related to restriction of food intake at home (50%); 70% of the patients continued to loose weight, 20% gained weight and 10% maintained the weight they had at the time they left the hospital. Eighty percent of the patients were pleased with the results obtained by the surgery. This study leads us to the conclusion that due the influence of the patient’s psico-emotional state upon his post surgery behavior, patiens submitted to ortognatic surgery should have their psychological state carefully evaluated before surgery so that their psychological condition do not consitute a complicating factor in recovery from surgery.

Keywords: Orthognathic Surgery. Psychology.

Saturday, December 28, 2024 23:04