Will Webbed Neck Surgery Improve The Range Of Motion Of My Neck?

Q: Dr. Eppley, yesI am a 25 years old and all my life I had a webbed neck and could not find a solution for it. Two years ago, I did physical therapy for a month, it helped a little bit and my neck got slimmer from the sides, but when I stopped, my neck got back to its usual shape. Sometimes my neck is slimmer, some days it is wider. My neck is not so stiff usually. Here are the pictures, I wonder if there are any solutions for fixing it from both sides, and from the profile, the access skin under my chin. I do feel any pain around my neck, and my concern is that I just want to have a normal and slim neck, like everybody. If there is any more information I can provide, please let me know. Best regards.

A: In webbed neck surgery the improvement it provides is reduction in the visible webbing from the front and back views. I can not say that much aesthetic improvement is seen in the side view where the webs do not cause any major aesthetic visibility. There is going to be benefit in the stiffness or movement of the neck.

Many webbed necks have a shorter chin projection which I think is an effect of the webbed neck. This will not improve by webbed neck surgery alone. It requires some form of concurrent chin augmentation and/or submental liposuction.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon