title: A nine-year review of orthognathic surgery at the University of Otago.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the demographic characteristics of patients undergoing orthognathic surgery at the University of Otago over a nine-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case notes of patients who underwent orthognathic surgery procedures at the University of Otago from 2001 to 2009 were reviewed retrospectively. This was augmented with a brief literature review of surgical considerations and complications in orthognathic surgery among older patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 92 patients included in the study were aged 15 to 56 years. The mean patient age increased over the nine-year observation period, from 22.1 years (sd, 9.4) during 2001-2003, 25.0 years (sd, 12.7) during 2004-2006, to 27.7 years (sd, 11.4) during 2007-2009. Most patients were from New Zealand European or European backgrounds, with only 5.5% identifying as Maori, and 3.3% as Asian. A female preponderance was observed (with a female:male ratio of 1.6:1). Complications were encountered with 24 patients (26.1%). Ten patients had long-term (lasting for one year or more) sensory nerve disturbance; all of those had undergone a mandibular bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) procedure (they comprised 12.7% of all BSSO patients treated); half of those patients were over 35 years old, and four were over 40 years old.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There has been an increase in the proportion of older patients undergoing orthognathic surgery at the University of Otago. Observations from this case series support findings from other studies demonstrating a higher rate of sensory nerve disturbance among older BSSO patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Parton
authors.forename: Darryl C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Harsha L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: De Silva
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farella
authors.forename: Rohana Kumara
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: De Silva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D056948:Orthognathic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000145:classification*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult