Clinical analysis was performed for 1,448 patients with jaw deformities who had undergone orthognathic surgery in our hospital over the past 48 years. The patients included 473 males and 975 females with a mean age at the time of operation of 22 years (range: 12–55 years). About 90% of the patients were under 30 years of age. The most common clinical diagnosis was mandibular prognathism (796 cases), and the percentage of patients with maxillary protrusion or mandibular retrognathism (96 cases) was low. Sixty patients had congenital disorders and ten had traumatic injuries. The most common surgical method was sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO), and the combination of Le Fort I osteotomy and SSRO (L1+SSRO) was the second-most common surgical method. The average operation time and amount of bleeding for SSRO were 186.0±93.0 minutes and 453.8±396.9ml, respectively, and those for L1+SSRO were 232.4±80.1 minutes and 621.9±423.1ml, respectively. Blood transfusion was performed in about 70% of the patients, and the most common type was autologous blood transfusion. The average amounts of blood transfusion in SSRO and L1+SSRO were 261.8±343.9ml and 520.7±286.9ml, respectively.
More complicated surgical techniques have been used over the years in order to meet the expectations of patients with jaw deformities. Operative time and amount of bleeding have increased as the surgical techniques have become more complicated. We have attempted to shorten the operative time and decrease the amount of bleeding by improving the technical skills of surgeons and introducing new surgical instruments.