Profiloplasty: variations in personal views.

There is sometimes controversy among colleagues over treatment plans in orthognathic surgery. This is because there are differing ideas about which part of the facial skeleton should be moved to give an optimal result. A study was therefore set up to obtain insight into the differences between surgeons. Ten unbalanced profile drawings were given to seven experienced surgeons with the request that they draw the profile line which they would like to give these patients. It was acceptable either to draw the profiles 'artistically' off the cuff or to use additional construction lines as long as this was not the profile planning according to Brons and Mulié (1993). The evaluation showed that some surgeons drew profiles which resembled each other to some extent in proportions and inclinations, while others produced variations without any evident regularity and basic concept. The variability per profile was very important in almost all cases. Such discrepancies are not acceptable in a teaching centre.