Patterns of Major Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Cases in Two Ethiopian Medical Centers: A Three-Year Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND: Oral and Maxillofacial region is an area that is prone to multitude of disease conditions of developmental nature or acquired which require surgical intervention on many occasions. The aim of this study was to assess the pattern, indications, and types of major oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures carried out at Addis Ababa university Maxillofacial Surgery affiliate hospitals. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on all patients who had undergone oral and maxillofacial surgeries under general anesthesia at Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College and Saint Peter Specialized Hospital in a period of 3 years from January 2017 to December 2019. Descriptive statistics such as biodata, indication and type of surgery were recorded and analyzed using the Epi info version 7 software. RESULTS: A total of 689 patients with oral and maxillofacial conditions were managed during the study period. The male to female ratio was 2.48:1, and the mean age of patients was 29.05 years with standard deviation of ±15.5. The predominant indications for surgery were traumatic conditions (50.71%, n=354), followed by neoplastic conditions (18.7%, n=129)). Open reduction and internal fixation were the most common (43.7%, n=313) surgical procedure performed. CONCLUSIONS: The field of oral and maxillofacial surgery in our climes is a relatively new one. However, it is evolving, and its relevance is growing. With the observed relatively high frequency of traumatic conditions, especially among younger populations, efforts geared at prevention and adequate preparedness for proper surgical management of such patients should be commenced.