The impact of facial prosthesis on quality of life for people with congenital defects : a systematic review

Abstract

Purpose: Congenital defects can often cause segregation from society due to aesthetical stigma and subjective opinion by the individual wearing the facial prosthesis, decreasing their overall Quality of Life (QoL). The aim of this systematic review is to collate and subsequently synthesise research reporting the impact of extra-oral facial prostheses on QoL for individuals with a congenital facial defect. Materials and Methods: A systematic review was undertaken following the Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA guidelines. The protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42023403545), and searches were performed in six databases from inception to June 4th 2025. Results: 1215 records were retrieved after review three articles were retained for inclusion. Four QoL measures were used across the study’s with the majority reporting QoL as a secondary outcome. A total of 22 people were represented across the study’s and were equally divided with 11 males and 11 females with an age range of 16–85. Despite the fact, numerous methodologies and QoL measures were used, statistically significant improvement in QoL was found following the fitting of a facial prostheses. Conclusions: All three studies suggest that a prosthesis influences patient QoL, however due to the small number of studies and the variety of QoL measures used, definitive conclusions regarding the impact of prosthetics on congenital facial deformities cannot be drawn. Future research should use standardized, prosthesis-specific QoL measures for clearer comparisons.