Facial Slimming Surgery Revision

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am seeking a facial slimming surgery revision. I had cheek bone and jaw angle reduction six months ago in Asia. This seemed to result in cheek bones that dropped, became assymetric and disjointed. As for the jaw bones, the left mandible broke and seems fixed with screws. Could these screws be affecting my nerves and affecting my smile because now when I smile, my smile is crooked. I also have dental maloclusion and cannot chew normally. Please can you look at my CT scans:

1. What has happened to my cheek bones? What needs to be done for corrective surgery?

2. What has happened to my jaw bones? What needs to be done for corrective surgery ?

3. Please give me feedback or input as to what could be causing the problems I am experiencing regarding my crooked smile.

A: Thank you for your inquiry and sending your pictures and x-rays as well as telling your surgical history about cheekbone and jaw angle reduction. In reviewing your CT scans, the answers to your questions and facial slimming surgery revision needs are as follows:

1) The front end of your cheekbone was plated in an inferior (low position) rather than being put back at the correct horizontal level, albeit in a more inward position. I have never seen such a bone positioning of the cheekbone. But this would explain why your cheeks sag.

2) As you had previously stated, you sustained a fracture of the mandibular ramus during the jaw angle reduction procedure. (this also I have never seen before) There are plates sand screws at two levels to fix the fracture. It is possible that the screws from the lower plate could be impinging on the mental nerve which could cause numbness of the lower lip. The fracture could also be as source of bite issues since fixing jaw fractures are a well know source of postoperative malocclusion. (bite is off) Your smile is crooked because your have sustained an injury to the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve. This is the nerve that controls the depressor movement of the lower lip. When it does not work the lower lip on he affected side elevates when you smile rather than being pulled down. This is the source of your crooked smile. If the function of this nerve has not returned in one year after the injury, it will not recover.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana