What Can Be Done To Correct My Facial Asymmetry?

Q:  Dr. Eppley, Ive come to highly respect your opinion, especially regarding the lower face as you’ve done some beautiful work.  I have an asymmetric face. In seeing an orthodontist,  he said I am not a candidate for jaw surgery. I think he is wrong. I think jaw surgery is probably the only real solution that will properly address my lower face. My jaw is clearly longer on one side than the other in both the ramus and the condyle, its visible in X-rays. The cheekbone is also visibly lower on one side both externally an by Xray.

My questions aside from obvious rhinoplasty and chin augmentation, can anything at all be done to address this “tilted” look to my face and eye area? It bothers the heck out of me . Your feedback would be highly appreciated. I think surgery is my real need and only true solution.

A: I do not have the advantage of seeing any x-rays so my comments can only relate to your photographs. The most significant component of your facial asymmetry is in the orbits with the one being lower than the other. That is potentially improveable through a brow shaving procedure through the upper eyelid and a lateral canthopexy corner of eye tightening procedure done on the lower orbit. That is relatively low risk and is an operation commensurate with the magnitude of the problem.

Straightening your nose through rhinoplasty is of obvious benefit as well as chin augmentation, via an implant or osteotomy, as you are already aware.

As for jaw surgery in terms of orthognathic repositioning…no. Your orthodontist is correct based on what I see in the photographs. I have no clue as to what your occlusion is but this would involve a major effort and years of orthodontic work. There would have to be a major malocclusion to justify that effort. You are far better off camouflaging the jaw asymmetry with chin augmentation and possibly a lower border shave/ostectomy on the elongated side.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana