Surgeon Questionnaire
I have to fill out a questionnaire for my oral surgeon to bring to my next appointment. He wants me to tell him what I would ideally like my results to be, and where I see problems with my current facial structure. When looking through pictures especially I can tell that my jaw line and chin doesn't look right, but I am having so much trouble trying to come up with the words to describe what it is that isn't right. This may be an odd request, but I need your help! Here are a few pictures taken in the last few days. Please tell me anything you notice or ways I can describe to my surgeon what seems off. I feel like my chin is really wide, and that I don't really have a defined chin, it just all blends together. When I compare what my jaw line looks like from straight on to what my friends do, I notice my chin never comes to any sort of rounded 'point'. I won't take any of this as criticism, it's just hard to be subjective when I am so used to the way I look and it's a bit difficult to find ways to describe my own appearance, so pleassee help me! :
Anonymous | March 29, 2011 at 9:16 AM
It is so hard to say, Dani, because you are so adorable!
I do see what you are saying though about your chin. You know though that if you want to see changes in your chin, you are in for that genio...
I personally think you will want to minimize any changes to that top half of your face. Has your surgeon mentioned whether he'll be using an alar stitch by your nose? With maxilla impaction, the nose tends to widen so a lot of surgeon will use a stitch to prevent this. I know mine is. You don't seem like you need much impaction though. Has your surgeon give you any clue to what he is planning in terms of millimeters? Like I know that for me, I will likely be impacted 5mm and then my lower jaw moved forward by 5mm. Has he told you anything like this yet? That might help get a better idea of what you'll end up looking like.
If you are not really excited on the current shape of your chin, then I think you should go for the genio. I think it is great that your surgeon is asking for so much input on what your cosmetic desires are. Mine told me that I could go either way on the genio but when I see him, I plan to tell him to do what he thinks is best. He is the professional after all...
I am getting really nervous about my post-surgery look as well. My bf keeps getting sad asking me, "What are they going to do to your face?" And lately I haven't been feeling all too beautiful so I can only hope I don't really hate my post-op look. Sigh. Just chop me up already! I am so ready to be done with this! :P
Dani | March 29, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Haha thanks Tina :) I certainly don't think I am ugly, but if cosmetic changes can be made, I am going to take advantage of it!
I am thinking you are right about the genio. I think the genio creates more of a chin. I don't think the shape of my chin will change at all with just pulling the lower jaw out, and would probably only impact my profile. I think that maybe not doing the genio may give me a more masculine appearance, as my jaw is wide and pulling it more forward may allow the wideness of it to become more obvious.
Yes, my surgeon did say he'd be using the alar stitch by my nose. I forgot to mention that in a previous post, but it was one of the first things I asked him at my first appointment. I know I have a petite face and my head is pretty small, so I was nervous I'd end up with a wide nose. He said he'd place stitches on both sides to keep that from happening.
I honestly have no idea how much movement there will be, and I am totally clueless as to why I didn't even think to ask him that at my last appointment. I remember something about 5mm, but I don't remember if that was upper or lower.
I am SO ready too. I know it's coming up soon, and I am sure by the time it gets here I am going to wish I had another week, but with school and exams and everything it feels like time is moving soo slowly!
I will keep you posted on the genio! Thank you so so much for your input, I really appreciate it!
robinmodern | March 29, 2011 at 2:30 PM
Hello:
My name is Robin, and I'm looking through blogs like yours while recovering from the same surgery (I had it 7 days ago). It's truly a pleasure to read your perspectives, triumphs, doubts, and the whole process while I'm laid up.
I am compelled to comment here about genioplasty. Go for it. You and I have similar chins and part of the reason for this procedure is because our lower jaw is underdeveloped. You are looking for a combo of functionality and aesthetic balance, right? Your surgeon is most likely obsessed with symmetry and the correct placement of the features (they all are), and s/he knows how to make your face balanced as a whole. Trust them! It should help breathing and posture too.
I've had one post-op visit and even though the x-ray they took is hard to interpret because of the heavy swelling, you can easily see that not only are my teeth finally aligned, my chin complements my forehead instead of sloping into my neck (thanks to the genio) I have huge dimples which (to me) overtake my face when I smile, so I hope also that this new chin will soften this effect. I think it's going to have a positive impact, which is why I hope you are going to go for it too.
My parents said I could get braces when I was about to leave for college, so being a self-conscious teenage brat, I refused. That was so long ago that I don't think this operation even existed then, so I don't know what could've been done to fix things. Now at 39, my dentist says that my jaw will start breaking down if I don't have this corrected. At this point, I've been thru harder things, so I said bring it on. It's going to be worth it to be able to chew, talk without lisping, and not drool on my pillow at the very least.
I wish you all the best and all the patience I can spare!
thanks,
Robin
Dani | March 29, 2011 at 3:47 PM
Robin, thank you! I guess my biggest question about the genio was what effect can it give me that pulling my jaw forward wouldn't? (If anyone else can answer this as well, please do!)
Haha, sounds like we are very much the same in that I was incredibly self conscious and was absolutely no way going to get braces while going into college, but I am so thankful I got over it when I did and am able to have them during my senior year rather than later on! If you have any before/after photos that you'd like to share, since you mentioned we have similar chins, let me know and I would love to see them!
robinmodern | March 29, 2011 at 6:36 PM
Dani,
Technically, I don't have a good answer for that one either, sorry. But I haven't seen any bad results.
I think our chins do look similar in profile, but not straight-on. I'll try to attach some pics to demonstrate. I played with this profile shot in Photoshop trying to imagine what an 'after' photo would look like for me. The shift is small, but significant. Then there is one of a smile where you get the idea about the giant dimple cheeks. Also, I think my normal sized nose looks bigger in profile than it really is because my chin recedes like that. I don't know if anything was done to my nose in surgery, all I know is, it is stuffed up, bloody, and numb. I'll look for better before photos once I am further along in the healing process.
Ultimately there isn't anything else I can do, just accept the results and pretend like this part is fun. I feel lucky to have this opportunity at all!
robinmodern | March 29, 2011 at 6:38 PM
wait, not sure how to post pics on here. I'll try
Dani | March 30, 2011 at 8:40 AM
Robin, if it's easier and you feel comfortable with it, you could email them to me at da.anderson9@gmail.com. If not, I understand!
Anonymous | March 30, 2011 at 9:22 AM
You asked, "What can the genio provide that moving my jaw forward cannot?"
I think the answer is shaping. My surgeon said something about moving my chin forward and tilting it up. So the tilt would be something that lower jaw surgery alone could not accomplish.
Hope that helps!