What Are the Risks of Orthognathic Surgery?
Every surgery carries some risk. Here is an honest overview of the possible complications of jaw surgery.
Orthognathic surgery is very safe when performed by an experienced surgeon, but it is important to understand potential risks.
- Common side effects (expected, temporary):
- Swelling and bruising (peaks at day 2β3, resolves over 2β4 weeks)
- Pain and discomfort (well managed with medication)
- Difficulty eating (improves over 4β8 weeks)
- Fatigue (normal after major surgery)
- Numbness of the lips and chin (common)
- Less common complications:
- Nerve injury β the most common significant risk. The inferior alveolar nerve runs through the lower jaw and can be affected during lower jaw surgery. This causes numbness of the lower lip and chin
- Infection β rare but possible; treated with antibiotics
- Bleeding β unusual but manageable
- Bad split β an irregular bone fracture during surgery; usually fixable during the procedure
- Non-union or malunion β the bone does not heal properly; very rare with modern techniques
- TMJ problems β jaw joint symptoms may develop or change
- Relapse β the jaw moves slightly from its new position over time
- Plate/screw issues β very rare; hardware may need removal if it causes problems
How Risks Are Minimized
- 3D surgical planning
- Experienced surgeon
- Antibiotics during and after surgery
- Proper post-operative care
- Following all instructions
Clinical Guidance
Orthognathic surgery is safe, but temporary numbness of the lip and chin is the most common significant side effect. Serious complications are rare. An experienced surgical team and following post-operative instructions are the best ways to minimize risk.