Can You Both Widen the Lower Jaw While Setting It Back?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I’d like to know whether you can do a lower jaw augmentation to widen frontal frame of face, while also doing a lower jaw repositioning for less projection from the side profile. And if it’s possible to do cheek implants/bone recontouring. This would be an all face procedure.

A:What you have described is a combined lower jaw setback with the simultaneous placement of jaw widening implants…. which is not done together for a variety of reasons. Osteotomies and bone repositioning in the lower jaw is always done first followed by the addition of any implants secondarily. That being said we should go back to the beginning and look at what you’re actually trying to achieve to see if that really is the exact procedures you need. The same issue applies to your cheeks.

In that regard I would just need to see some face pictures as well as a description of the face changes you are seeking and then I  can evaluate in particular the ‘jaw setback’.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Plastic Surgeon