Do patients benefit from orthognathic surgery? A systematic review on the effects of elective orthognathic surgery on psychosocial functioning and patient satisfaction

The main purpose of this systematic review was to determine the current state of evidence regarding patient satisfaction with, and the impact of, orthognathic surgery on psychosocial functioning of patients 17 yr of age and older. A secondary aim was to determine whether individuals with psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions are more likely to be dissatisfied with the treatment outcome than those without. We systematically searched PubMed, PsycInfo, and Embase for relevant studies (up to 6 June 2016). After selection of articles we determined the Directness of Evidence (DoE) and Risk of Bias (RoB). We identified 3,948 studies (1,053 studies in Pubmed, 2,023 in Embase, and 872 in PsycInfo). Of these, 87 remained after screening of title and abstract, while after full-text screening only nine remained for DoE and RoB assessment. All nine studies had a high RoB and a low or moderate DoE. The quality of the methods of studies, published to date, on the effects of orthognathic surgery on patient satisfaction or the psychosocial impact carry a high RoB. Therefore, these do not allow inferences on the effects of orthognathic surgery on patient satisfaction or their psychosocial functioning.