Risk of permanent nerve damage from genioplasty alone as a percentage

[Jilkster]

Hi,

I never found any consensus, does anyone have any numbers regarding the percentage of people that experience permanent numbness/nerve damage as a result of genioplasty alone?

Thanks!

[ditterbo]

The first number that pops into my head on #'s based questions usually aren't too far off from what I've read however long ago. I'd say 80% of the pop experiences some degree of sensation damage.  I personally would love to learn percentage of people who get MOTOR nerve damage from these surgeries.. and I'm not talking about a mentalis muscle stitched back too  low either. 

[Lazlo]

damage isn't static. i have nerve sensation damage right now but i've had it before during an accident and it recuperated --it took a while, almost a year the first time, and I expect it to improve now too.

[Jilkster]

The first number that pops into my head on #'s based questions usually aren't too far off from what I've read however long ago. I'd say 80% of the pop experiences some degree of sensation damage.  I personally would love to learn percentage of people who get MOTOR nerve damage from these surgeries.. and I'm not talking about a mentalis muscle stitched back too  low either.

Am I understanding you correctly, and you say 80% of people undergoing a genioplasty experience permanent nerve damage leading to altered sensation?

[trojans101]

from what ive read, and spoke to quite a few surgeons...

you may get some numbness on your lower lip.. and your bottom teeth may have numbness. these are the two main side affects of an SG. in terms of issues with affecting muscles, that doesn't happen unless a big mistake is made.

[ITALIA]

I've had 2 genio' and I have a degree of numbness to my lower teeth and incision sight below my chin. Also, you can still get swelling to the area from a knock or applied pressure  years after the operation.

[trojans101]

I've had 2 genio' and I have a degree of numbness to my lower teeth and incision sight below my chin. Also, you can still get swelling to the area from a knock or applied pressure  years after the operation.

Can you elaborate ?

''Also, you can still get swelling to the area from a knock or applied pressure  years after the operation.''

[Jilkster]

from what ive read, and spoke to quite a few surgeons...

you may get some numbness on your lower lip.. and your bottom teeth may have numbness. these are the two main side affects of an SG. in terms of issues with affecting muscles, that doesn't happen unless a big mistake is made.

If that chance is over 10% that is easily enough for me to not be able to justify doing it. Any idea of percentages?

[trojans101]

full numbness is very rare. its just small patches, that you forget about. pm me if you have mor questions. ive spoken to a lot of surgeons about this, i probbaly have answers for u.

quote from a surgeon friend ive spoken to about it:

I do them frequently, including 2 this morning. They're very straightforward, especially advancement genios. You'll be sore, but if I had one done I'd expect to be back at work within a week. Only real risk is numbness of the lip (uncommonly permanent but expected for a few weeks) and of the lower front teeth (more common but doesn't bother most people much). If I needed one, I'd have no problem undergoing the procedure.

[needadvancement]

Which scenario likely has more permanent risks: 1-undergoing two SG's with minor advancements or 2-getting one very large SG advancement?

I ask because I've had one done(4mm forward and downwards) which didn't cause complications, but thinking of getting another one again with smaller movements.

[trojans101]

Which scenario likely has more permanent risks: 1-undergoing two SG's with minor advancements or 2-getting one very large SG advancement?

I ask because I've had one done(4mm forward and downwards) which didn't cause complications, but thinking of getting another one again with smaller movements.

personally i think the risks are the exact same.. but im not a doctor.

just wondering, did you SG affect your smile at all? ill be getting a strict 7mm advancement and wondering if itll affect my smile... the doctors say it wont... thoughts?

[needadvancement]

personally i think the risks are the exact same.. but im not a doctor.

just wondering, did you SG affect your smile at all? ill be getting a strict 7mm advancement and wondering if itll affect my smile... the doctors say it wont... thoughts?

No effect on my smile, no. What it did do was cause my lower lip to roll in a bit, probably because of the added vertical advancement. That's another concern for my second SG, I hope it won't make my lowerlip even smaller.

Your 7mm SG should have no issues at all, pretty standard stuff.

[ditterbo]

Am I understanding you correctly, and you say 80% of people undergoing a genioplasty experience permanent nerve damage leading to altered sensation?

Pretty much yep.  Consider your surgery a success if all you come out with is mildly annoying sensation changes to your chin and/or lower lip.  There's plenty more that also happens too often (IMO) - poorly restitched mentalis muscle, leading to a droopy lower lip (too much lower tooth show), tight and irritating stitch line, and physical step-offs where the bone was chiseled out of position.  This surgery's complication profile is why I took the 'safe' route and got a chin implant.. but nope, I still got royally f**ked by the doctor and have motor nerve damage and/or muscle damage to my chin and lower lip, with no clear diagnosis or recourse 2 years post op (even with x-ray's, 2 different cat scans,  & mri). If you find your smile to be one of your best features (like I did), then tread extremely cautiously when selecting your op doc.

[Jilkster]

Pretty much yep.  Consider your surgery a success if all you come out with is mildly annoying sensation changes to your chin and/or lower lip.  There's plenty more that also happens too often (IMO) - poorly restitched mentalis muscle, leading to a droopy lower lip (too much lower tooth show), tight and irritating stitch line, and physical step-offs where the bone was chiseled out of position.  This surgery's complication profile is why I took the 'safe' route and got a chin implant.. but nope, I still got royally f**ked by the doctor and have motor nerve damage and/or muscle damage to my chin and lower lip, with no clear diagnosis or recourse 2 years post op (even with x-ray's, 2 different cat scans,  & mri). If you find your smile to be one of your best features (like I did), then tread extremely cautiously when selecting your op doc.

Yikes, what made you figure those risks out? I can't find much at all about it on the internet, and so far the surgeons I emailed said that any persisting alteration of sensation is almost unheard of.

[Rico]

percentage is nothing.  Always it can be you ..

Any surgery  close to nerves = risk of permanent nerve damage. Avoid surgery if the nerves are so important for you
Moreover if you think the nerves are so important for you, you may get irreversible mental problem when the s**t happen

Make a test.
Take a sticky tape and put it on your face on the area supported by a particular nerve
Wear it at least whole day. Do not remove it.
This is how can it be after surgery for the rest of your life. Never better

If you can accept OK undergo surgery
if you think you you would become crazy with such feeling THEN FORGET SURGERY,

This is the best test IMO. Sticky tape on the skin really gives quite similar sensation of not fully recovered sensory nerve.
Dulled feeling and something is pulling the skin. In that way most people feel loss of feeling.
You can get even parasthesia

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT!! ALWAYS DIVIDE BY 2 WHAT SURGEON TELLS YOU.

By the way, take a look here:  http://jawsurgeryforums.com/index.php?topic=6064.msg49573#msg49573