appearance changes [bimax + genio]

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#1 Post by **maloccluser** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:41 pm

hello everyone.

as my surgery date approaches, i've had a lot on my mind, and one thing i've been thinking about recently is how this surgery is going to affect my appearance. absolutely i'll be glad that i'll finally be able to touch my front teeth together and my teeth will be aligned properly, but i also want a nice cosmetic outcome. if anyone has had both upper and lower jaw surgery and/or a genio, i'd love to hear from you.

how will upper jaw surgery affect the appearance of my nose? it seems it would push it upwards a bit? i believe the plan would be to move the upper jaw forward 4-5 mm.

i'm still uncertain about getting a genio. i have an overbite and a recessed chin. my surgeon doesn't offer predictive imaging, so i feel a little in the dark about what the outcome would be. i'm concerned that the chin will look too big, long, or unnatural. i'm wondering if just the lower jaw advancement (which would be in the 7-9mm range) would be enough.

any advice you could give me with regards to the genio? i know it's hard to say without seeing pictures, but in general, has anyone who has gone through the procedure had a good experience? i've read pretty much all of the other genio threads and still feel unsure. i'm a mid-30's man, if it matters.

thank you.

#2 Post by **metalmouthmedic** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 11:16 am

This christmas I underwent the same procedure that you are having. The change in appearance was also a big issue for me. I was very worried that I would get to the other side and then not like the results!
However, now that I am out the other side (almost 2 months post op!) I have to say I do not regret my decision at all! The genioplasty gave me a gorgeous chin and everyone keeps commenting on my wonderful jaw line! I feel much prettier and happier in myself.
Basically, don't be too worried. It takes a while for the swelling to go down, and for your new face to shine through, and it may take a while to get used to (I know it did for me. I stared in every mirror I walked past for about 5 weeks!), but I am sure you will love it in the end.
Hope this helps
metalmouthmedic

#3 Post by **Smurfy1975** » Mon Feb 22, 2010 1:47 am

I can't tell you anything about upper but I had lower and genio done and was also in my 30's.
Your appearance will definitely change and the psychological effects of this should not be underestimated. Luckily, in most cases, the cosmetic outcome is better then before. Even when a face is improved esthestically, it can still be hard for the patient to get used to their new face.

About the genio, think hard and long about it. Just having upper and lower done in your 30's already puts you at risk for permanent neurosensory disturbances and having genio added will only make that risk significantly higher. Unfortunately the reports about this are not conclusive as far as the percentage of people who have permanent nerve damage after a combined BSSO and genioplasty. I have read anything from 0% to 85%.

If I were you, I would get a second opion. Find a surgeon who does have state of the art equipment and who does predictive imaging. You might also want to consider a chin implant instead of genio. I don't know the risks or complications an implant might bring but maybe it's something to consider.

Good luck!

#4 Post by **trish222** » Mon Feb 22, 2010 8:09 am

Hello Maloccluser,
I am a 44 year old female that had upper, lower and genio 7 months ago. My OS didn't feel like I needed and my ortho strongly suggested it. I went with ortho suggestion as I have had a professional relationship with her for many years-she has done a beautiful job on all three of my children-and talked me into braces and surgery. I have had 2 additional post-op surgeries to address complications with hardware. While I am still not fully healed and still have tingling, stiffness and numbness in chin, lip and gum area, I am pleased with results and expect a full recovery. I have been reassured that indeed it takes a year to see full results. In regards to the aesthetic questions-I am glad I did genio and not chin implant. While I don't know the measurements of my surgery my jaw line is more pronounced-mine was very recessed-and my chin turns up just a bit. In regards to my upper jaw, I have noticed that my nose does appear smaller and the space between the base of my nose and lip is greater than before. When I look at pictures this is the one thing I seem to stare at and I'm not quite used to yet. That whole area is still very stiff though and I think in pictures it is noticeable as my smile appears sometimes forced. My OS had computer imaging but said not to bother as it didn't give accurate results-My facial appearance, in my opinion, is improved and I'm glad I went with genio because like my ortho said the lower jaw surgery can only bring out your jaw line so much. Good luck with your decision.

#5 Post by **Smurfy1975** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:01 pm

My OS had computer imaging too and to be honest, I don't look much like it. I also would force my jaw forward before my surgery to see what I would look like after surgery and the result is also different then that. Basically it's just one big chance your taking (as far as looks are concerned) and hope for the best. I have looked at many before and after pics from people who had this surgery and have yet to find one person who looks worse in the after pictures.

#6 Post by **maloccluser** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 6:54 pm

thanks for the responses, everyone.

i had surgery this past tuesday for upper and lower plus genio. right now my face is way too swollen to even have a clue what it's going to look like in a few months.

as far as numbness goes, pretty much the entire area below my lower lip is numb and then the tip and nostrils of my nose are numb. my face has a distinct pear shape right now with my cheeks puffed out. even my eyelids are swollen to some degree. trust me, i look really attractive right now.

definitely looking forward to the swelling going down.

#7 Post by **shutdownexploded** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:01 pm

unless you're a really positive person you'll be freaked out and depressed by mirrors for about 2 months. This will pass.
It can't be said enough times that it takes months to know what you're going to look like.
I was distraught about my appearance for a long time but after 3 months I don't even remember what I looked like before and am in love with my reflection again.

#8 Post by **maloccluser** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 12:55 am

shutdownexploded wrote:unless you're a really positive person you'll be freaked out and depressed by mirrors for about 2 months. This will pass.
It can't be said enough times that it takes months to know what you're going to look like.
I was distraught about my appearance for a long time but after 3 months I don't even remember what I looked like before and am in love with my reflection again.

thank you, shutdownexploded. that comment helped a lot. part of the reason i went through with the surgery is for aesthetic reasons and now that the aesthetics are so messed up, combined with the physical discomfort... i'm having a hard time not regretting that i moved forward with everything. nothing i can do now but be positive and wait.

thanks again.

#9 Post by **descantus** » Tue Mar 02, 2010 4:18 am

I was shown my computer imaging 'after' shot for the first time yesterday and it made me look like a complete lunatic! OS assured me it's more for illustrative purposes that an accuate after shot though, so I hope he's right

Sorry to hear you're having such a hard time of it maloccluser. My surgeon told me that it will take a year before I see my 'final' face so things are bound to improve for you. He also said that in terms of nerve damage the upper jaw sensation will return far more quickly than the lower, and that full return of sensitivity will also take a year, so right now the emotional rollercoaster of surgery plus swollen appearance is still thowing you all over the place.

Hope you can relax and stay positive, i'm sure everything will be fine

Tue Mar 02, 2010 9:08 am

descantus wrote:I was shown my computer imaging 'after' shot for the first time yesterday and it made me look like a complete lunatic! OS assured me it's more for illustrative purposes that an accurate after shot though

i'm pretty sure the office assistant with the most photoshop experiences just dickies those up in ten minutes for no reason other than all the other surgeons seem to offer such images and it seems like a good idea, but except in cases of simple lower jaw advancement, they're all laughably inaccurate

#11 Post by **chipmunkcheeks** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 7:46 pm

i think i had the same surgery as you. here is a slide show...after the swelling goes down, the results will be amazing

http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h287/ ... 25e93b.pbw

#12 Post by **ztm134** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 9:52 pm

Wow chipmunkcheeks that was amazing!

You look great! You looked like at least a half dozen different people in that slide show haha!

How much movement did you have on the upper jaw, do you know?

#13 Post by **archangel689** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:29 am

Don't always assume more is better.

In my case some sweetheart surgeon tried to convince me that I needed both the lefort I and bsso done (bimax as you call it) and it took another more experienced surgeon a day to talk me out of it. In some cases the cosmetic value is just too little to warrant the pain and numbness... in my case the difference would have been so slight that it didn't even matter.

My thoughts on this are always get at least two opinions. Don't assume more is better.

#14 Post by **chipmunkcheeks** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:16 pm

i had huge changes as a result of my jaw surgeries because my jaws were moved soooooo far...

upper jaw- raised 5mm (everyone thinks it was set back or something else, but i was told it was actually in a good position just too much gum showing)

lower jaw+chin- 22 mm!!!! to build out my chin, the 5mm vertical excess was taken from my upper jaw in addition to donor bone (cow's) and put together to make what i have now... i think my chin was 9mm, so my lower jaw was 13mm.

#15 Post by **revolutionary** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 12:12 am

Big changes for me as well.

Here's the CGI predictions pre-surgery that the doctor made (the supposed "after" shot is on the left; my before any work is on the right):

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j41/a ... at1630.jpg

Here's me before surgery (I did the surgery without prior braces... I swear, this is just how my teeth grew in haha)

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j41/a ... oto119.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j41/a ... oto120.jpg

Here's me 12 days post op:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j41/a ... at0059.jpg

And here's me 13 days post op!!:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j41/a ... at0059.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j41/a ... at0252.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j41/a ... t02523.jpg

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appearance changes [bimax + genio]

appearance changes [bimax + genio]

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