AIIMS to conduct workshop on orthognathic surgery from Sunday

The AIIMS will conduct a two-day workshop starting Sunday on orthognathic surgery to enhance the skill of oral and maxillofacial surgeons of India in jaw deformity surgical correction.

Lectures, live surgeries and hands experience on 3D printed models will be given to surgeons during the workshop.

The orthognathic surgery is performed to give balance to facial bones along with rectifying the deformed jaws which enhances the aesthetics of a person.

"This also enhances the self esteem of a person, improves speech, eating and gives confidence in day to day life," said Dr Ajoy Roychoudhury, the head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Centre for Dental Education and Research (CDER), AIIMS.

Dr Roychoudhury explained that the surgery is performed from inside the mouth, with no scars and incisions on face.

"The surgeon makes appropriate cuts in the jaw bones, aligns them to proposed position and fixes them with metal plates and screws. Wires or rubber elastics may be applied to the teeth temporarily after the surgery. The patient needs to stay in the hospital for two to five days, depending on the type of surgery," Dr Roychoudhury said.

Final result is immediate, but the stable facial appearance may take four to six weeks after surgery.

The surgery may involve single jaw, anterior or posterior part of jaw, chin region or both the jaw.

In India, such surgeries are gaining popularity now as many maxillofacial surgeons are performing them at various centres.

"This is an expensive operation but at the AIIMS, it is done almost free of cost. The hospital is taking the endeavour to provide this surgical facility of jaw deformity correction to even the economically weakest strata of India.

"The current surgery involves lot of virtual planning 3D printing and precision execution of surgical steps," he said.