Survey on Surgical Correction of Mandibular Deformities in Japan. Part 1. Surgical Procedures Applied for Mandibular Deformities, Fixation Methods between Segments and Duration of Intermaxillary Fixation.

Questionnaires were sent to oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontic, and anestheisology departments where board members of Japanese Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Japan Orthodontic Society, or Japanese Dental Society of Anestheology are working. Questionnaires included questions cocerning surgical procedures applied to mandibular deformities, fixation methods between segments, the duration of postoperative intermaxillary fixation, complications of perioperative phase and preoperative and postoperative orthodontic treatments. This paper presented the results of the survey on surgical procedures, fixation methods between segments and the duration of intermaxillary fixation based on the replies from 99 oral and maxillofacial surgery departments.Results1. Sagittal splitting ramus osteotomy is widely used for the treatment of mandibular deformities in oral and maxillofacial surgery departments of Japan, and 89 out of 93 oral and maxillofacial surgery departments apply this procedure to the most of their mandibular deformity cases.2. Three departments use vertical ramus osteotomy for the treatment of mandibular deformities in more than 50% of their cases and 18 departments use this procedure in the second largest number of their cases.3. Intermaxillary fixation is used postoperatively in most departments. Some departments apply it for more than six weeks even if rigid bone fixation methods are used.4. Most of all oral and maxillofacial surgery departments have been trying to reduce the duration of intermaxillary fixation by applying more rigid methods for securing segments.