How Can I Fix My Son’s Facial Asymmetry?

Q: Dr. Eppley, As you can see, my son’s face is not symmetrical. I think the most serious part is his slanted jaw which appears to contribute to differing eye level. Other than that, one side of his cheek seems to be slightly larger than the other. Many doctors I’ve consulted have suggested that this might be due to an injury from a fall during his childhood. However, to the best of my knowledge, he has never experienced such an incident. I would greatly appreciate your insights into the possible causes of this condition and most importantly, your recommendations on surgeries or treatments to consider. Thank you

A:This is a congenital severe facial asymmetry whose in utero cause will never be known exactly. The entire left side of his face is smaller than that of the right…making every left facial feature at a different horizontal level than the opposite side. I would agree that the jaw asymmetry is the most affected and also the faciakl area that can get the greatest improvement. He is in need of double jaw (orthognathic surgery) which is a common procedure that can be successfully performed in  most countries and at least in the regional area.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon