Loose, saggy skin after bimax surgery 3months post

[Mandy22]

Hi

I had a high le fort 1 surgery in Dec. My jaws were moved forward 9mm, cephalometric analysis showed 6mm deficiency. The skin on my face is very loose now, i have a double chin that is not fat and also the skin on my neck is loose. I mean my neck was not swollen as far as I know. I am only 26. I just do not know what on earth happened to my face. And my face just looks a lot bigger than before. I am seriously freaking out right now since i am not seeing any progression towards more tight skin on my face.
I had facial hypoplasia and decided to fix this with surgery. I had pretty chubby face before, but now, i look awful.

[Mandy22]

I mean everything just migrated downwards. I know i still have some swelling but this is just too much. I have very deep nasolabial fods now, and i also have mentolabial folds. If i lay in my bed or tilt my head down everything just hangs down my jawline and chin, neck. I do not think this is fat.

[ktr78]

Hmmm. I am surprised you got so much sagging with your jaws just being moved forward. Was your face made shorter? Doesn't sound like it. Have you asked your surgeon about this? Maybe consult with a plastic surgeon and see what they can do for you. Aside from the sagging skin, do you like your result?

Very sorry to hear this.

[bmueller]

Seems strange. I too would think your skin would get tighter if you jaw is moved forward. Did they move the lower jaw too?

[Mandy22]

Yes both of my jaws were moved forward. No, i do not like how i look now. I look horrible. My nose is wider, i had very full, angelina jolie lips that disappeared after the surgery. I have deep nasolabial and mentolabial folds.
I already visited two plastic surgeons, who basically told to wait at least 6 months. I sure hope this is still swelling and that everything will balance. One surgeon suggested buccal fat pad removal if thing will get better. He was baffled because like you said here, my jaws were brought forward and the skin should not be loose or saggy. The plastic surgeon basically said my maxfac had no idea what he was doing..

[bmueller]

So sorry for you! I hope things get better with time. I was convinced that my lip was uneven after surgery and that my nose got bumpy but it turned out to be residual swelling. Give it some time and hopefully you can get answers and solutions!

[ktr78]

I would consult with another oral surgeon in your area to get a better idea of what went wrong. Avoid telling them who did your surgery however because local docs tend to stick together.

[Mandy22]

Yes i will. I am having a consultation meeting with a very good maxfac next month. What i really do not like now is the size of my face. Its much bigger. I think they moved my jaws too forward and my whole face looks too big now. I am so frustrated because the doctor who operated on me keeps saying everything is fine and keeps reffering to my profile and how much better it looks now.

[bmueller]

Not trying to pry, but would you be willing to post before/after photos so we can understand what you're describing?

[Zoology Dragon]

Not trying to pry, but would you be willing to post before/after photos so we can understand what you're describing?

Yes, pictures would be really helpful. They could just be partial ones if you're concerned about showing full facial pics on the internet (totally understandable!). I'm not sure what to suggest right now but I'm really sorry you're unhappy. I had some unhappiness after surgery, it took a long time for the swelling to fully settle and for me to come to terms, psychologically, with my new face.

[Mandy22]

Hi

Its really difficult for me to post my pictures here. THe thing is i want a revision surgery. I can live like this. I do not recognise myself in the mirror or in the pictures. My face looks just so enormous. I do not want to pay for the revision, becuse my doctor should have known what 9mm movement does to someones face. I would like to set both of my jaws back for 3mm. Because the chepalometric analysis showed only 6mm deficiency. I am not really sure what can i do at this stage... its very difficult to talk to him, he is just not listening.

[bmueller]

I'm not really sure what makes you feel so uncomfotable about posting here. The people on this site have been even more supportive than my family! I think its because we are all going through the same experiences. If your appearance is bothering you as much as it seems, you may need to talk to a professional about your feelings. I had moments where I spent the whole day depressed about some aspect of my treatment or another. If you had a botched surgery that makes you this distressed AND you can't talk to anyone about it, you really need to work through it somehow to move on in life.

[Mandy22]

Yes i know what you mean. But the person i need to talk to is my surgeon . And for some reason he is not returning my emails. You know, no amout of counseling can't help me the way my surgeon with revision surgery can. But i highly doubt he will be prepared to operate on me again without me paying the full fees again. And i am not prepared to do this. I can pay for the anaestesiologist, ok, but everything else should be covered by my surgeon. I mean i just cant belive it, that before the surgey when i asked how much will me jaws be moved forward he said well that depends on the analysis and your wishes. I though i need 9mm, the analysis showed 6mm. Jesus, he has been doing this for more than 30 years, and i am not a doctor. He should know that 9mm is waaaaaaay too much. What on earth was he thinking?????

[bmueller]

The surgeon may not want to talk via email for legal reasons. Have you tried scheduling another appointment to see him face to face.

My surgeon's office is always telling me to come in if I have the littlest concern.

I'm sure another surgeon in the area would be willing to do a consult with you, at least to help explain what went wrong. And honestly, this time I'd do a TON of research picking out the best surgeon in the area.

Best of luck!

[CatHw]

Hi Mandy, I'm 120 days post-op from double jaw surgery and I have the same issues that you described. I also do not like my new face. I am mortified every time I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I feel like I resemble a monkey with my newly wide nose, long upper jaw and cheeks and lips that seem to have disappeared. When I smile, I look ridiculous. But what bothers me the most is the sagging skin on my entire lower face. When I ask my surgeon about it, he just tells me to wait. First, he told me to wait 3 months, and now he says to wait 6 months. Since it's been a while longer for you now, has it improved? And also, are you more comfortable with your face now? Thanks!