Is osteotomy considered a major surgery?

Osteotomy surgery generally refers to mandibular osteotomy. Since everyone's face shape is different, and in modern society, people pursue oval and melon-shaped faces as beautiful. However, if the mandible is too large, it will make a person's face look particularly wide. Therefore, some people will undergo mandibular osteotomy surgery. Compared with cosmetic surgeries such as rhinoplasty, mandibular osteotomy has a much higher risk factor, but is it considered a major surgery?

Suitable population for osteotomy surgery

1. The mandibular angle is obviously enlarged and turned outward, forming a "square face" or "trapezoidal face".

2. The mandibular angle is prominent and asymmetrical on both sides.

3. The width of the upper and lower face is not proportional, and the distance between the two mandibular angles is too wide.

Facial osteotomy surgery mainly includes:

Mandibular angle plastic surgery: Mandibular angle plastic surgery is currently the most common facial reshaping surgery. If the mandibular angle is too small, the face will appear "square"; if the mandibular bone is turned outward and thickened, the face will appear trapezoidal. Both of these situations do not meet the aesthetic standards and mandibular angle plastic surgery can be performed.

High zygomatic bone surgery: Excessively high zygomatic bones form a triangular face, with the middle face being too wide and convex, giving a cold feeling and appearing haggard and old. This condition can be improved through high zygomatic bone surgery.

Note: Osteotomy is a level 4 cosmetic surgery and carries a high risk. The hospital performing the operation must be a tertiary plastic surgery hospital, or a tertiary general hospital with a medical cosmetology or plastic surgery department.

Contraindications for facial osteotomy

1. Psychological barriers: People who love beauty but have psychological barriers have too high expectations for the surgery and are out of touch with reality. It is not recommended for them to undergo osteotomy surgery.

2. Physical illness: such as heart, lung, liver, kidney or blood system diseases. Since these patients have low disease resistance and low immunity, they are prone to postoperative infection and difficulty in healing of incisions, resulting in failure of the operation.

3. Extremely old: Although osteotomy surgery is now safer, it not only requires surgery but also bone removal. People over 60 years old usually suffer from osteoporosis and are not suitable for facial osteotomy. This is a relative contraindication to surgery, not an absolute one.