How Do I Fix My Midface Deficiency After A LeFort I Osteotomy?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am 4o years old, past surgeries include Lefort 1 osteotomy, rhinoplasty, septoplasty, along with braces. I had a class III malocclusion, maxillary deficiency and  crooked nose. I feel very subconscious about the look below my eyes and my hollow cheek and eye area. Like my jaw area is out too far now. I would like to see what you would recommend to make me look better. Thank you

A: Thank you for your inquiry and sending your pictures. What you have is essentially an incompletely treated midface deficiency. While the alveolar level of the midface may have been treated/corrected by the LeFort I osteotomy, every structure north of that was ‘left behind’. To get a more complete midface augmentation effect a custom midface implant is the definitive procedure and far easier to undergo and recover from that the LeFort I osteotomy by comparison.

There are different variations of the total midface implant that are customized to the patient’s specific aesthetic needs but the general footprint of the implant is largely the same. 

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana