How Can My Face Be Made More Symmetric From My Congenital Micropthalmia Deformity?

Q: I have a major issue with my face that has effected me my entire life. I was born with a skeletal deformity which caused my entire right side of my face to be noticeably bigger then my left side. My bite pattern is off due to this problem which in turn has prevented me from getting any adult teeth on my left side because of the lack of bone to support the teeth. I was also born with glaucoma which has been said to be the result of a tiny unseen eye ball in my left socket which caused the orbit to grow different then my right side. I have attached some pictures. As you may notice, I need some serious help. I have dealt with it all my life but I dream of the day I can look in the mirror and see the same person on both sides. If you can help me in my time of need it would be greatly appreciated. God bless.

A: Thank you for sending your pictures and sharng your story, You were born with microphthalmia which has caused the left side of your face (orbit and maxilla in particular) to develop differently than the right. (the growing eyeball has a major influence on the surriounding maxillofacial bones). This means the the left side of your face is vertically shorter than that of your right, known as facial hypoplasia on the side with only an eyeball remnant. There is much that can be done but a good place to start would be with a 3-D craniofacial CT scan to clearly show the extent of the anatomic deformity. Treatment planning could then be done and could go in two different directions, major bone repositioning through osteotomies and/or bone grafts or a camouflage approach using facial implants. It would also be extremely helpful to have a good view of your existing teeth, even starting with a simple panorex x-ray and a view of your current bite relationship.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana