Newbie looking for input and how to decide on surgery

[Autumn12]

I have spoken to a few surgeons and I haven't really gotten any feedback that I'm satisfied with. I know that I have a problem with my jaw because it's visibly crooked. My chin is somewhat retruded and I have difficulty keeping my mouth closed and lips together. Additionally, the angle of my lower jaw is too steep, so my face looks long and narrow.

A couple of surgeons have suggested nothing more than genioplasty but that won't address the crookedness or jaw angle. Another surgeon seemed a little too casual about the surgery and hasn't gotten great patient reviews.

A lot of what I've read on this and other forums has been very disconcerting-post surgical relapses, nerve damage, and other horror stories, in addition to the overwhelming number of people who are just dissatisfied with the results of their procedures.
How is everyone here evaluating surgeons and what kinds of questions should I be asking?
How are you deciding on whether or not to have surgery?

[Gregor Samsa]

Where do you live? It's definitely worth consulting with some of the better surgeons to see what they think. Based on what other people here have written about their experience with them, it's definitely worth paying for a consultation with Arnett and Gunson if you live somewhat close to that area.

[Mark32]

Autumn, I know what you mean about the cases where things have gone wrong, reading those can be very disconcerting. it seems like such a long and invasive process that when you add in the risks it can appear very daunting. are you encouraged in any way by the success stories?

for me I'm going to try participating here as much as I can and reading up so that I can be as informed as possible prior to making any decisions. I really like that there's so much info here and some really knowledgeable posters.

Gregor, that's a really good idea about going for consultations with some of the leading surgeons. even if I am just going to get it done fairly local, I could go much further afield for a few consults with top experts so that I have their views to go on when dealing with a more 'minor' surgeon. that's kinda condescending but still. i'd thought about trying a cosmetic surgeon as the maxfac surgeons I've seen don't appear to be all that aesthetically minded.

I'm in the uk/Ireland so does anyone have the names of the leading surgeons in this area or the rest of Europe?

[Gregor Samsa]

Paul Johnson (England)
Ramin Zarrinbal (Germany)
Sandro Pelo (Italy)
Albino Triaca (Switzerland)

[Mark32]

thanks, Gregor

I wonder what the going rate is for a consult with one of those guys. the other thing too is that I wonder if it would be a bad idea to go to someone who wasn't maybe that fluent in English. this might be ott but i'd worry that some crucial stuff might get lost in translation, if you know what I mean. after all this whole thing is bewildering enough as it is.

do you think it's likely that all highly trained surgeons would have good English as it's bound to be the language that all science stuff is exchanged in internationally?

[Gregor Samsa]

Pretty much all of the highly trained surgeons I've met have been good at English. Many of them have studied in the US. A consultation with Paul Johnson costs 250 pounds the last time I checked. I don't know what the other three charge.

[Mark32]

do you know if Paul Johnson is based in London? as i'm concerned about my lower facial appearance - I feel the shape of my chin contributes to what i'm unhappy with - would it be worthwhile to also consult a cosmetic surgeon?

[Gregor Samsa]

He's based in Guildford. It doesn't take long to take the train there from London. Paul Johnson is also a plastic surgeon so he definitely does cosmetic stuff as well. My only complaint about him is that his consultations are rather expensive and you don't get a complete surgery plan out of them like you do when you have a consultation with Arnett and Gunson. Other than that he has a very good reputation so if you're looking for a surgeon in England then I would recommend him above anyone else.

[Mark32]

did you have a consultation with Paul Johnson? even though i'm only just hearing about it now, a complete surgery plan is the kind of thing I've been concerned about when it comes to consultations. the consult I had a few years ago with a maxfac surgeon seemed like a vague chit chat tbh. nothing really concrete or detailed was established. he sort of just suggested that he might do this or that but he'd have to see. it kinda just left me feeling as if, as the patient, I was expected to go through the process in the dark and then wake up to find out what the surgeon had done to me.

on the cost side of things I wouldn't mind paying top dollar if the surgeon was highly rated and I got a detailed description of what needed to be done. that way i'd have a standard to compare the approach of a more local surgeon to. in the end i'd have to go more local I think due to travel and all.

[Gregor Samsa]

You should contact his office manager Tina and ask her about it. None of the people from here who consulted with him got a surgery plan though. I suspect he will only make one if you decide on having the surgery which might seem a bit backward if you ask me.

[Optimistic]

Chin Wing.

[Autumn12]

I am in the US on the east coast-mid Atlantic region. Am I close to any of the top aurgeons?
How were these surgeons determined to be the best?

[Modigliani]

I am in the US on the east coast-mid Atlantic region. Am I close to any of the top aurgeons?
How were these surgeons determined to be the best?

Names were pulled out of a hat.

[Autumn12]

Where do you live? It's definitely worth consulting with some of the better surgeons to see what they think. Based on what other people here have written about their experience with them, it's definitely worth paying for a consultation with Arnett and Gunson if you live somewhat close to that area.

I'm all the way across the country on the East Coast. In amy case, I took a look at their website. For me, the pictures I saw were not great. The chins in the after photos looked exaggerated. I wouldn't want that much advancement. I think it looks unnatural. I don't know if they've had chin procedures as well but I want my lower jaw to appear shorter and a lot of those pictures seem to show a longer lower jaw, or the chin advancement makes them appear that way. It looks like everyone ends up wirh the same look, rather than something that best suits the individual person. I look at things from a more aesthetic point of view, so despite what a surgeon may deem anatomically correct, I may not be satisfied.

[Autumn12]

Names were pulled out of a hat.

That's really an inappropriate comment. I asked a valid question that did not deserve a sarcastic answer. Every year, local magazines publish a list of the "best" doctors, chosen by an undisclosed number of patients who may have been diagnoaed and treated for nothing more than a cold. After seeing several "top rated" doctors myself, I'm skeptical of ratings.