A Survey of Patient Satisfaction after Treating Zygomatic Complex Fractures Using a Coronal Approach

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: It is difficult to objectively evaluate the outcomes of plastic surgical procedures. The combination of aesthetic and medical factors makes outcome quantification difficult. In this study, fracture reduction accuracy was objectively evaluated in patients with zygomatic complex fractures. Patients satisfaction with the accuracy was also examined. In addition, the patients' overall satisfaction and discomfort due to complications were analyzed. METHODS: Eighty-five patients who had surgeries via bicoronal incision for zygomatic complex fracture from March 2006 to December 2009 were included in this study. Two plastic surgeons evaluated the accuracy of the fracture reduction with postoperative computed tomography. A survey questionnaire was administered to evaluate the patients' overall satisfaction and the impact of symptoms associated with the procedure on the patients' daily lives. RESULTS: The overall patient satisfaction rate was 82.1 +/- 10.9% (range, 45~100%). The level of deformation was 6.7 +/- 10.9%, the levels of discomfort in daily life due to pain, paresthesia, scar, and facial palsy were 8.5 +/- 13.2%, 5.8 +/- 8.9%, 4.4 +/- 9.9%, and 1.9 +/- 9.2%, respectively. According to the visual analogue scale, paresthesia was found to be the most frequent symptom (43.5%), and pain was the most troublesome symptom. CONCLUSION: The use of bicoronal incision for treating zygomatic complex fractures can cause various complications due to wide incision and dissection. However, this technique can provide optimized reduction and rigid fixation. Most of these postoperative complications can cause significant discomfort in the patient. It is thought that the use of correct surgical technique and the accurate knowledge of craniofacial anatomy will result in a reduction of complications and significantly increase patient satisfaction.