How Dietary Restrictions Can Lead to Being Caught in a Negative Spiral: A Qualitative Study of Patients' Experiences After Orthognathic Surgery

AIM: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore patients' experiences following orthognathic surgery with a focus on dietary management. METHODS: To gain in-depth knowledge of patients' postoperative dietary management, a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was applied, in which data were collected through individual semi-structured telephone interviews. Eleven patients (seven men, four women, aged 19-44) were recruited through purposive sampling during two periods in 2023 and 2024. The interviews were conducted 5-6 weeks postoperatively during home recovery and lasted on average 31 min. The data analysis was based on Ricoeur's theory of narrative interpretation. RESULTS: Four themes emerged describing challenges regarding dietary protocols: (1) patients struggle with dietary restrictions due to a lack of information, (2) to be in a negative spiral, (3) soft non-chew diet as a period of restrictions, and (4) dietary restrictions cause psychosocial burden. CONCLUSIONS: The dietary challenges were primarily practical and often linked to insufficient information. Consequently, patients reported psychosocial difficulties, often describing a sense of being caught in a negative spiral. These experiences may reflect limited health literacy. IMPACT: The findings highlight the need for a more structured approach to nutritional care to enhance patients' health literacy, strengthen their self-management skills and support better recovery outcomes in the orthognathic trajectory. The study has led to changes in both nutritional protocols and patient education for patients undergoing orthognathic surgery.