Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Minimally Invasive Versus Conventional Orthognathic Surgery

Minimally invasive orthognathic surgery (MIOS) aims to reduce surgical morbidity and improve postoperative recovery; however, its effect on patient-reported recovery and quality of life compared with conventional orthognathic surgery (COS) remains unclear. This prospective longitudinal cohort study included patients with dentofacial deformities undergoing bimaxillary orthognathic surgery between June 2025 and June 2026. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using the Short-Term Expectations (STE), Postsurgical Perceptions (PSP), Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ), and Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). Longitudinal outcomes were evaluated using linear mixed-effects models. Forty-one patients were included (20 COS and 21 MIOS), with no losses to follow-up. PSP, OHIP-14, and OQLQ scores changed significantly over time (all p < 0.001), without significant differences in recovery trajectories between groups. The largest observed PSP difference occurred at 1 week (COS, 102.5 ± 30.1; MIOS, 84.5 ± 26.2; p = 0.082). Higher baseline STE scores were independently associated with higher postoperative PSP scores (β = 7.40; SE = 2.87; p = 0.014). Although differences between-group were not statistically significant, postoperative symptom scores were lower in the MIOS cohort throughout follow-up, with the greatest difference observed during early recovery. Larger studies are needed to determine whether these observed differences represent clinically meaningful patient-reported benefits of MIOS.