Impact of Manual Lymphatic Drainage on Postoperative Edema of the Face and the Neck After Orthognathic Surgery

Orthognathic surgery aims to standardize position of the maxilla and the mandible and therefore chewing, breathing, phonation and swallowing functions. In postoperative, several physical and functional consequences are observed in patients: transient edema of the face, maxillo-mandibular blocking (causing difficulties to eat and occasional weight loss), pain and sensory disturbances (labial or/and chin paresthesias). Achieving sessions of manual lymphatic drainage by physiotherapist may allow faster decrease of postoperative edema, improved postoperative comfort and mental well-being. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of sessions of manual lymphatic drainage to reduce postoperative edema.