Abstract

This article addresses the issue of inadequate access to oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly emphasizing the role of humanitarian surgical missions in bridging the gap between developed and developing countries. Bhutan, one of the low-income countries greatly benefitted from such philanthropic surgical missions that involve Orthognathic surgery using the surgery-first approach (SFA). It involves performing orthognathic surgery before to the orthodontic treatment, which offers benefits such as shorter treatment duration and immediate aesthetic improvement. The case report presents the successful utilization of the surgery-first approach in orthognathic surgery for a 24-year-old female patient in Bhutan. The surgical procedure involved bilateral sagittal osteotomies, sliding genioplasty, and coronoidectomy to address micrognathia, restricted mouth opening, and obstructive sleep apnea. The outcomes included improved facial aesthetics, increased mouth opening, and resolution of sleep apnea symptoms. This article emphasizes that Humanitarian surgical missions have a profound effect on the health and well-being of the populations they serve, alleviating the economic and financial benefits for people living in LMICs.

Keywords: Humanitarian missions; Oral and maxillofacial surgery; Orthognathic surgery; Low-and middle-income countries; Surgery first approach