The literature has described that the predictability of the outcomes of orthognatic corrections in soft tissues is limited, because it shows significant variation and it does not offer final conclusions, limiting its clinical applications. The goal of this article is to retrospectively study the effects of maxillary orthognathic surgeries, Le Fort I type, in upper and lower lips of adult patients. Moreover, it intends to discuss the problems involved in this research area. The sample was constituted of 19 Caucasian adults, aging from 19 to 42 year-old, being10 male and 9 female, that undergone maxillary orthognathic surgery in CEDEFACE (Araraquara - SP). The vast majority of the cases presented a significant discrepancy, antero posterior, vertical or both, reinforcing its surgical recommendation. Significant changes in soft tissues were observed when skeletal changes, antero posterior or vertical, were significant. The proportion of approximately 0.6:1 soft to hard tissue changes was observed in the upper lip. Vertical changes in the maxilla without significant horizontal changes were not sufficient to vertically increase the upper lip size. Antero posterior changes in the lower lip as a consequence of the forward and downward maxillary relocation allow better lip posture. Vertical changes in the lower lip were not quantified.
Maxillary surgery; Le Fort I osteotomy; Facial profile; Lip profile
