Facial Feminization Surgery

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in facial feminization surgery but don’t know exactly what types of procedures I need. What are my options? Can they all be done at once> How much of a change to my face can they make?

A: Facial feminization surgery (FFS) involves a wide variety of bony and soft tissue changing procedures to create more of a feminine facial appearance. In a single surgery as few as one or two of these procedures can be done or as many as dozen or more . I have done as many as 15 procedures in a single patient. As a result FFS can produce subtle or major facial changes. Procedure options going from top to bottom of the craniofacial include: 1) skull augmentation, 2) hairline lowering (scalp advancement, forehead reduction), 3) forehead augmentation, 4) brow bone reduction, 5) lateral brow bone contouring, 6) browlift, 7) lateral canthopexy or corner of eye lift  8) rhinoplasty or nose reshaping, 9) cheek augmentation using either implants or fat injections, 10) lip lift or lip advancement, 11) corner of mouth lift, 12) lip augmentation with fat injections or Permalip implants, 13) chin reduction, 14) jawline/jaw angle reduction, 15) masseter muscle reduction by electrocautery or Botox injections, 16) submentoplasty (reshaping under the chin) and 17) adam’s apple reduction. (tracheal shave)

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana