Facial burn during orthognathic surgery: Case report

Despite the fact that the advances in surgical techniques have contributed to the reduction in the number of complications associated with orthognathic surgery, problems resulting from different phases of treatment, treatment planning, and postoperative period may occur. This paper presents a case of facial soft tissue lesion, burn in the lower lip region, in a patient with Class III malocclusion during orthognathic surgery. A 22-year, 3-month-old male patient with Class III malocclusion was burned in the paramedian region of the lower lip due to unnoticed overheating of the low-speed handpiece during sagittal osteotomy of the left mandibular ramus. The injury to the patient could have resulted in legal repercussions against the dental surgeon. However, that did not occur. The satisfaction with the aesthetic and functional results, from the standpoint of both dental and facial aspects, was more important for the patient than the aesthetics of the burn sequelae. Although orthognathic surgery is a safe and widely used procedure in association with orthodontic treatment, the risk of complications always exists. No matter how skilled and self-confident the surgeon is, careful attention to the variables that can be controlled should be taken into account in order to reduce the chance of complications that may result in irreversible damages.