Sunken cheek after surgery and looking for answers

[Serra]

Since jaw surgery last year, I noticed my face looked gaunt. What I noticed only later on is that one of my cheeks looks normal whereas the other looks like it's wasting away. I had BSSRO and genioplasty.

I asked a 2nd surgeon about this and she said it's hard to say. I don't trust my original surgeon. I'm too young for this to be natural. Has anyone heard of anything like this? 

[Serra]

I just found out online it could be muscle atrophy due to denervated muscle. I'm devastated. Has anyone heard of this?

[Lazlo]

i once had a blow to the side of my head and it left a very bad bruise. Several months later! There was an indentation and I thought it might be a dent in the bone, but it was actually the soft tissue had atrophied and fat had dissolved from that area. My doctor told me that happens sometimes when you receive a blow to the face or head area.

I think your problem might be asymmetry of the bones --in the sense that one side after the operation is draping the soft tissue in a different way.

Can you see a noticeable asymmetry in terms of how the mandible or maxilla is shaped on either side?

[Serra]

The new surgeon said my chin area was naturally asymmetric and that's why my step-offs are different. The thing is, when I look at 3/4 view pictures before the surgery of the same gaunt cheek, it looks like my normal cheek - with soft tissue protruding outwards, not pulling inwards. 

Did your indentation ever get better?

It might also be worth noting that ever since the jaw surgery, my normal cheek often has this pulsating feeling in it, like a very slow spasm. The gaunt cheek never had this sensation. Rarely, I've also had some pain near my jaw joint in the gaunt cheek after the surgery (upon opening my mouth) but don't anymore.

[PloskoPlus]

We are all asymmetrical to various degree to begin with.  Unfortunately, advancing stuff may exacerbate any pre-existing asymmetry.

I had an LF1 advancement.  My right side was more recessed and was advanced 1 mm further than the left.  It looked fuller than the left for months and months after.  This was, of course, worse in the morning, because everyone has a more swollen face in the morning, jaw surgery aside.

[Serra]

I'm not discounting it could be natural asymmetry. Is it possible that one side is smaller because I chew more on one side? Isn't the hollow area where the buccinator muscle is or is it the masseter muscle?

[Modigliani]

Regarding the bunching and balling of the chin muscles/scar tissue, I've found great help with manually pinching (hard) and massaging the area. Now obviously this won't help with any muscle related issues like ptosis but it's very effective for speeding up the softening of the scar tissue - I have a lot in my chin after a verrry complex bimax and genio revision and touch wood, it's the only real issue I've got at the moment.

I also started taking large doses of Serrapeptase three  weeks ago, it's an enzyme from silk worms that has all kinds of health benefits, one of them is said to be 'dissolving' scar tissue. Sounds like new age crap I know but I've used it before and swear by it.

How long ago did you have your revision?

[Gregor Samsa]

I also started taking large doses of Serrapeptase three  weeks ago, it's an enzyme from silk worms that has all kinds of health benefits, one of them is said to be 'dissolving' scar tissue. Sounds like new age crap I know but I've used it before and swear by it.

Do you take it orally? Is it supposed to work on external scars?

[Serra]

Regarding the bunching and balling of the chin muscles/scar tissue, I've found great help with manually pinching (hard) and massaging the area. Now obviously this won't help with any muscle related issues like ptosis but it's very effective for speeding up the softening of the scar tissue - I have a lot in my chin after a verrry complex bimax and genio revision and touch wood, it's the only real issue I've got at the moment.

I also started taking large doses of Serrapeptase three  weeks ago, it's an enzyme from silk worms that has all kinds of health benefits, one of them is said to be 'dissolving' scar tissue. Sounds like new age crap I know but I've used it before and swear by it.

How long ago did you have your revision?

Can you tell me about your genio revision? What was done? Did they use the same incision? How far apart were your surgeries?

My jaw surgery was in August 2014
The chin revision was Sept 2014
The last one was Feb. 26, 2015


I'll definitely look into that enzyme! How has it worked for you before?

[Modigliani]

Can you tell me about your genio revision? What was done? Did they use the same incision? How far apart were your surgeries?

My jaw surgery was in August 2014
The chin revision was Sept 2014
The last one was Feb. 26, 2015


I'll definitely look into that enzyme! How has it worked for you before?

Butchered  Oct 2013
Revision March 2015

The genio revision was full reversal, setback 3mm, with some additional burring thrown in for good measure. The scar tissue was so tight initially that talking was virtually impossible for the first month or so. Since taking the Serra, my speech has improved and it just feels more comfortable, you know? My ortho actually commented today on how much improvement there was, how much looser things seemed.

I've used it before after a tit job, beautiful flat scars and soft squishy, well yeah you get the point 

[Modigliani]

Do you take it orally? Is it supposed to work on external scars?

Yes, you swallow them down whole.

Think I have read of them working on external scars, they certainly won't do any harm.

[Serra]

Butchered  Oct 2013
Revision March 2015

The genio revision was full reversal, setback 3mm, with some additional burring thrown in for good measure. The scar tissue was so tight initially that talking was virtually impossible for the first month or so. Since taking the Serra, my speech has improved and it just feels more comfortable, you know? My ortho actually commented today on how much improvement there was, how much looser things seemed.

I've used it before after a tit job, beautiful flat scars and soft squishy, well yeah you get the point 

OMG, another person who sought a genio reversal. I sought one in my last one and the surgeon is lying to me that it's reversed. To read about it, go to my post history to my thread called "Damage control after botched surgery (...)"

Does the reduction of your scar tissue with the serra show up at all visually or it just reduces the stiffness in the chin?
Why did they burr down your chin more in the reversal if it was advanced in the first place?
Do you have severe dimpling?
Has your bottom lip changed?
Do you have xrays of pre-op, after first and second surgeries?

[Modigliani]

OMG, another person who sought a reversal. I sought one in my last one and the surgeon is lying to me that it's reversed. To read about it, go to my post history to my thread called "Damage control after botched surgery (...)"

Does the reduction of your scar tissue with the serra show up at all visually or it just reduces the stiffness in the chin?
Why did they burr down your chin more in the reversal if it was advanced in the first place?

I read your thread, got upset that another innocent victim got butchered and lied to 

As the scar tissue softens I'm finding that the ugly pulling and dimpling is reducing, it's still evident, don't get me wrong but not as much, it's as if it's 'relaxed' a little. Now I'm only 3 weeks into serra treatment so I'm going to keep going and hope for further improvements, I figure it can't do any harm. If you get some make sure you go for enteric coated btw, much more effective that way apparently.

The burring was done just for a bit of prettifying, it's very subtle but nice, unlike the dreaded scar tissue. I changed surgeons btw, the revision was done by a professional surgeon not a lying, cheating butcher.

[Serra]

I read your thread, got upset that another innocent victim got butchered and lied to 

As the scar tissue softens I'm finding that the ugly pulling and dimpling is reducing, it's still evident, don't get me wrong but not as much, it's as if it's 'relaxed' a little. Now I'm only 3 weeks into serra treatment so I'm going to keep going and hope for further improvements, I figure it can't do any harm. If you get some make sure you go for enteric coated btw, much more effective that way apparently.

The burring was done just for a bit of prettifying, it's very subtle but nice, unlike the dreaded scar tissue. I changed surgeons btw, the revision was done by a professional surgeon not a lying, cheating butcher.

Thanks!
Who was your professional surgeon? Is the result very close to your original structure?

[Modigliani]

Paul Johnson, in the UK though.

Chin wise it's probably a little prettier than before (minus the dimpling), despite being a class ii originally my chin was kind of strong so that bastard butcher had no business advancing the thing - I did not consent to that or a whole bunch of other things *sighs*.

So your Dr Asshole didn't fully reverse it? What an asshole! What's your next move?