Swallowing Status Alterations in Patients Undergoing Maxillary Advancement Surgery: Investigating the Process of Functional Recovery in the Pre- and Post-surgical Time Periods

Abstract

Background: One of the proposed causes of dysphagia is jaw misalignment, which affects the oral preparation stage. In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in the swallowing process before maxillary advancement surgery and within a 6-month period after surgery. Methods: The present study was conducted at Ayatollah Kashani Hospital, Isfahan, between 2024 and 2026 on 21 patients who were candidates for maxillary advancement surgery. The EAT-10 oropharyngeal swallowing questionnaire was filled out for each patient before the maxillary advancement surgery, 2 months, and 6 months after the surgery and the results were statistically analyzed. Findings: Of the 21 patients studied, 9 were male and 12 were female. The mean age of the patients was 23.29 ± 5 years. Based on the EAT-10 questionnaire, the mean swallowing score before surgery was 17.76 ± 2.86, two months after surgery was 18.86 ± 2.87, and six months after surgery was 5.90 ± 2.79, indicating an improvement in the patients' swallowing status at six-month follow-up after surgery. Conclusion: Overall, the findings of this study indicate that maxillary advancement surgery can improve oropharyngeal swallowing function in the long term by creating changes in oropharyngeal dimensions, tongue-palate contact, etc., while gender does not play a significant role in the extent of these changes. However, a definitive statement is subject to more detailed studies with a larger sample size. © 2026, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.