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The purpose of this study was to investigate the postoperative satisfaction
of orthognathic surgery patients and related factors. The authors
assessed 108 orthognathic surgery patients using the Minnesota
Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the Symptom Checklist 90 preoperatively.
The degree of deformity, expectations for surgery, and support
of significant others were also evaluated before surgery. The patients
were given questionnaires at 4 time points, from 10 days to 1
year after surgery. A multiple regression test was used to analyze the
relative importance of psychologic factors and other variables in explaining
the degree of patients’ satisfaction with surgery. Postoperative
satisfaction was high and increased with time. Patients with more
education and more severe deformities reported greater satisfaction.
During the early stage after surgery, patients with a high degree of interpersonal
sensitivity, whose close relatives did not support surgery,
or who accepted surgery passively tended to be more dissatisfied. Patients
who had realistic expectations were more satisfied in the long
term. Complications such as pain and swelling influenced patients’
satisfaction soon after surgery, whereas the responses of people
around the patients influenced their satisfaction at all stages postoperatively.
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