Can I Do Jaw Angle Implants at The Same Time As My Orthognathic Surgery?

Q: I am going to undergo orthognathic surgery in the coming year. My maxilla will be brought forward as well as my mandible. This will also help my sleep apnea problem. I was told with the advancement of my maxilla, my nose would move as well. That is why I am also having a rhinoplasty. It is supposed to be more of a tweak. To complement my mandible, a sliding genioplasty will be performed. I also have incompetent lips, so a v-y advancement of mu upper lip will also be done. What are your thoughts on the mandibular angle implant? I want more of that model look that I read about on your blog. Will it look right on me? Is my facial geometry even capable of changing with a mandibular angle implant to what I desire? Am I being too ambitious?

A: In answer to your questions, my overall statement is that you are being overly ambitious as you have already admitted. While jaw angle implants would be beneficial from a facial shape standpoint, it should never be done in conjunction with orthognathic surgery. That would require the implants to be placed directly on top of or next to the sagittal split mandibular osteotomies. That would be a recipe for infection and the potential to interfere with the healing of the mandibular osteotomy sites. In essence, a disaster from a jaw healing standpoint. While that may not happen, it is a real risk and one that isn’t worth it.

 You need to go through the orthognathic surgery and adjust to your new face for a full year and allow everything to heal well. Only then should you reconsider jaw angle implants through computer imaging and further facial analysis. 

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana