Can the MIdface be Shortened?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have a very long face, it’s actually long through out and while i am looking into hairline lowering/hair transplant , and have already had a chin reduction , the mid face and the part of the lower face that is between the lips and the nose appear to be harder to address. Can a Lefort 1/maxillary impaction help to reduce the vertical length of that part of the face between the lips and nose? Also, I am thinking the impact to the mid face (brows to the tip of nose) would be minimal, but some doctors says optically the surgery has the potential to make the mid face look shorter, what are your thoughts? 

Also, will shortening the maxilla actually shorten the vertical length of the nose on the frontal view? Or is there any surgical maneuver at all that can reduce the length of the nose (frontal view) when the tip is already at a good position and not drooping? I think we are constrained by the nasal cavity here. 

Thanks for your time. 

A: In short, there is no effective procedure for reducing the middle third of the face unlike the forehead and chin. No bone shortening procedure shortens the visible midface, it only affects the amount of upper tooth show. A lip lift, which shortens the distance between the base of the nose and the upper lip is the only procedure that provides some vertical midface reduction.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana