The Le Fort-1-Osteotomy is a jaw surgical procedure to correct misalignments of the upper jaw. Named after the French surgeon René Le Fort, who developed the principles of this technique at the beginning of the 20th century, this operation is a central part of modern craniofacial surgery.
Aim and application:
The Le Fort-1-Osteotomy aims to bring the upper jaw into a correct position to correct functional and aesthetic problems. It is carried out in patients with dysgnathia (jaw misalignment) with pronounced functional disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea as well as severe bite abnormalities or facial asymmetries. These include, for example, cases in which the upper jaw is positioned too far forward, too far back or unevenly.
Procedure:
The Le Fort-1-Osteotomy involves separating the upper jaw from the base of the skull by cutting the bone along a specific line (called the Le Fort-1 line). This line runs above the teeth of the upper jaw and below the nasal cavity. After the bone has been severed, the upper jaw can be moved to the desired position and fixed there.
