Unexpected Complication of Zygoma Reduction : Loss of Smile and Lip Numbness

[ONLYONEOWNS]

Hi everyone. I had a conservative zygoma reduction 1 month ago. I went to a top reviewed clinic and the doctor seemed very competent and thorough. The doctor had to make incisions through the mouth and also on the sideburns. After the surgery my lips swelled up like crazy as well as my lower face. My swelling looked like what you see in double jaw recovery patients. It was a pretty rough recovery and unexpected to say the least. The swelling has since gone done a lot, however I am still quite swollen and I am not able to see any positive difference yet in the cheekbone reduction due to the swelling.

I am going to be patient with the cosmetic results, but the issue i have been struggling with is my upper lip being completely numb and I have lost the ability to smile.

The upper lip numbness affects my daily life, when I am eating or drinking I can't feel foods or temperatures of the upper lip. Things get quite messy.

The upper lip tightness is very devastating as I am unable to talk normally and when I smile I don't show any upper teeth. I am actually not able to smile at all. Try smiling and use your index finger to push down on your lips so that it covers your top teeth completely. That is what my smile looks like.

Needless to say, I am extremely nervous and scared. I of course mentioned this to the doctor and they are telling me it's "normal" but my research says otherwise. I have not been able to find a lot of other zygoma reduction patients who have struggled with the issues I am describing. Even people who have had full double jaw surgery only seem to complain about lower lip numbness and chin numbness. In my case I didn't have any kind of jaw surgery so I am actually really caught off guard that I am experiencing this complication.

I have a poll attached to this thread and would love to know if any of you have some words of encouragement, experience or advice.

 

[lattegirlxo]

Hello, where did you go?

 

[rhinoandeyes]

1 month and evertthing should be tight. It’s normal I think?

 

[chamievic08]

Anybody here had experience at JK plastic surgery? Please dm me

 

[butteryflakes]

I am experiencing the same thing. The doctor did say that cheekbones are attached to muscles used for chewing (and i assume for smiling), so numbness and weird movement is normal after surgery. But i’m at 2 weeks post and there‘s been improvement with my smile, although overall I still feel stiff and numb. He said that will go away in 1-3 months.

 

[ONLYONEOWNS]

hi

I am experiencing the same thing. The doctor did say that cheekbones are attached to muscles used for chewing (and i assume for smiling), so numbness and weird movement is normal after surgery. But i’m at 2 weeks post and there‘s been improvement with my smile, although overall I still feel stiff and numb. He said that will go away in 1-3 months.

Hi, you had cheekbone reduction only ? or also Vline and double jaw.

At 2 weeks I think feeling stiff and numb is normal.

Im approaching 5 weeks and I am not able to see my top teeth when I smile..i pretty much have 100% numbness of the upper lip. How much of your top teeth are you able to see when you are smiling? and how numb is your upper lip?

 

[ONLYONEOWNS]

Hello, where did you go?

you can PM me

 

[ONLYONEOWNS]

1 month and evertthing should be tight. It’s normal I think?

i think tightness is normal, but my upper lip is about 95-100% numb and i have 0% tooth show when i smile. That i don't think is normal?

 

[Tribeca]

you can PM me

Hi Can I also PM you?🙏🏻

 

[butteryflakes]

hi


Hi, you had cheekbone reduction only ? or also Vline and double jaw.

At 2 weeks I think feeling stiff and numb is normal.

Im approaching 5 weeks and I am not able to see my top teeth when I smile..i pretty much have 100% numbness of the upper lip. How much of your top teeth are you able to see when you are smiling? and how numb is your upper lip?

Only cheekbone reduction for fc (i got rhino as well).

A little bit of top teeth and my upper lip doesn’t turn inward anymore when smiling. Now i can feel the numbness mainly on the cheekbones, but my smile is still far from how it was before as well.

One thing i’ve been doing is exercising and moving the muscles (by moving my lips and making expressions), i asked the doctor and he said it’s okay to do this. I do this a lot throughout the day. I think it helps a bit.

But if after 5 weeks you see no improvement to your smile of course it’s frustrating… how long did your doctor said to wait for?

 

[ONLYONEOWNS]

Only cheekbone reduction for fc (i got rhino as well).

A little bit of top teeth and my upper lip doesn’t turn inward anymore when smiling. Now i can feel the numbness mainly on the cheekbones, but my smile is still far from how it was before as well.

One thing i’ve been doing is exercising and moving the muscles (by moving my lips and making expressions), i asked the doctor and he said it’s okay to do this. I do this a lot throughout the day. I think it helps a bit.

But if after 5 weeks you see no improvement to your smile of course it’s frustrating… how long did your doctor said to wait for?

I've been doing a lot of exercises as well, I've also been supplementing with lion's mane , b vitamins ,and doing hot compress.

I am starting to look into peptide therapy as well for nerve regeneration . It's injected and it's supposed to make your body heal faster.

Doctor's team is telling me it's normal. What else can I say? I cant imagine any situation where the doctor will admit they messed up.

As a patient we are put in a very precarious position. They never warned me this would be a potential side effect. I wouldn't have risked my smile or muscle movements in exchange for a few mm off of a cheekbone .

I am just keeping positive and continuing to exercise my. mouth. Based on my research this seems to be a side effect of doing zygoma that people don't really talk about. It's just that I am experiencing the more extreme end.

Please think good thoughts for me!

 

[cateum]

Hey there, I saw your post and wanted to share something that might be helpful. It's a bit soon, since you're only a month out. After major surgery, it's super common to experience changes in sensation and movement, kind of like what happens with Botox. When nerves are affected during surgery (and they always are) it can temporarily mess with how your brain and muscles talk to each other. It's all about the signals your nerves send to your brain.

Think of it this way – when you have Botox, it deliberately relaxes certain muscles by blocking nerve signals. After surgery, if there's a loss of sensation, your brain might not get the usual messages it's expecting, which can influence your movement a bit. But don't worry too much, this is usually just a temporary thing. Your body's pretty amazing at adapting and healing. Over time, as the nerves and tissues recover, you'll likely notice things getting back to normal. Just remember to keep following your doctor’s advice and give your body the time it needs to heal! Just like with working out, no pain, no gain, and rome was not built in a day.

The best thing you could do is give yourself a break from thinking about it. And set 3 and 6 month milestones to revaluate. A lot of people take a break from chats and forums also because it doesn't help to take your mind off things if you're getting constant notifications that just make being anxious a habit.

 

[Yayaqi]

Oh no! I'm considering getting zygoma reduction, could you PM me where you got it done?

 

[rosie8800]

I still suffer from stiffness and nerve pain from cheekbone reduction and it’s been a little over a year now. I also developed TMJ disorder from this. My smile was fine though

 

[Yayaqi]

I still suffer from stiffness and nerve pain from cheekbone reduction and it’s been a little over a year now. I also developed TMJ disorder from this. My smile was fine though

Could you PM me where you got your cheekbone reduction done?