There are many accounts of people whose lives have gotten worse after jaw surgery. Here are 100+ testimonials from real patients who experienced complications, regret, and lasting harm.
I hate to finally admit this but I regret my DJS more than anything, despite months researching, numerous consults, long conversations about techniques and long term results.
This surgery is the biggest regret of my life. Food on my chin
A family member of mine is going through suicidal thoughts and episodes of depression and ugly thoughts after jaw surgery.
The pain is just absolutely insane and it weighs on your brain when the pain is that high.
Numbness in chin, gums, lower lip. Didn't fix sleep apnea
I'm so extremely depressed. I hate what's been done to me. Don't get jaw surgery unless you're having very bad functional problems or are severely deformed.
It has been 10 months since my surgery, yet I still have a lot of pain when I open my mouth, and it feels like my jaw is breaking with crackling noises. In the end I could not see the result I wanted, only the pain.
Hate my face 16 months post-op. Nose crooked, profile awful
I would give anything to take back what I did for aesthetics.
I had double jaw surgery as a teenager 30 years ago and I haven't been able to look at myself since. I hideout when it's time for pictures.
Upper jaw surgery left me awkward, avoiding people, isolated
I ended up with chronic pain after double jaw surgery. I wake up every day with my entire face and head hurting.
1.5 years post-op, isolated from friends, life ruined by surgery
Your face is your identity. I want to warn other people
6 weeks post-op with non-union. Everything wiggles, sad
At 24 I was naive enough to believe that fixing my overbite would fix my life. I thought that by having a perfect smile I would automatically gain the confidence I had so desperately been lacking. I suffered catastrophic complications - the loss of eight front teeth, the loss of a large segment of my upper jaw, the loss of my hard palate, a deviated septum, nerve damage so bad that it sometimes consumes my entire existence.
Upper jaw reconstructed, teeth dying, biggest life regret
I regret trusting my orthodontist's recommendation of what was in my opinion an unnecessary orthognathic surgery. Almost two years later and it has very negatively impacted my quality of life because daily tasks such as talk and eating have become very unpleasant.
Feel at complete loss and don't know where to begin
Cheeks puffy, face slants left. Made me hate looking at myself
13 weeks post-op, miss old face so much. Pain not worth it
Starting to regret surgery. Jaws uneven, making me depressed
This surgery has a lot of complications that no one thinks are going to happen to them. In my case...it's been nothing short of traumatizing.
10 months post-op, regret surgery. Paraesthesia driving me crazy
5 years post-op, bite relapsed to pre-op state. All effort wasted
Regret it. Prefer structure of face pre-op
Half deaf now. Audio engineer. Career pretty much over
Good result but permanent TMJ. Suggested another jaw surgery
4 months post-op, terrible appearance. Sleep apnea better though
Post-op complications, severe TGN, two auto-immune disorders triggered
Wish dentist never mentioned jaw surgery. I hate my results
Surgeon removed sinus wall, destroyed nose nerves, suffocated months
Last year nightmare. Significantly recessed, unable to chew
1 year post-op, regret surgery. Heaps of people regret too
Better side profile but numbness losing my mind
Regret it. Pain is insane. Mental anguish destroying me
Became hermit, can't work, no insurance, suicidal thoughts
1 year post-op, chin numb, lost movement, lip purple from cold
I regret mine!!!
Fixed TMJ but hate how surgery aged me and my smile
11 weeks post-op, face looks so different, don't recognize myself
Aesthetically better but neuropathic pain never stops and might last forever or for a very long time.
Severe lip incompetence, need another surgery but risks increase
Chin surgery went wrong, crooked, face elongated severely
Face left long, asymmetry worse, swallowing and speech affected
6 weeks post-op, need septoplasty, back on CPAP for sleep apnea
Sagging, nerve damage, TMJ, tightness, no good aesthetic
Mandible fracture, worst repair job, scared of 4th surgery
Year post-op, face isn't same, looks like had surgery, weird
Lived isolated due to botched jobs
Face looks weird, longer, less cheeks, gaunt, awful surgery
Can't achieve pleasing look. Face collapsed, devastated, lost
Never thought possible. Surgeon supposed to be one of best
Midline misalignment. Very sad, don't know what to do
Totally botched. Terrible nerve damage causing extreme pain talking
6 years post-op, unable to satisfy with new face, depressed
11 years post-op. I'm dealing with body dysmorphia issues
8 years post-op, permanently lost all feeling nose down
Not happy with appearance, bite asymmetry much worse
20 months post-op, infraorbital nerve wrecked, burning rubbery hell
18 months post-op, stiffness and tightness in chin jaw area
Center lower lip paralysis, can't smile naturally anymore
Success on sleep apnea but jaw clicking, hurt when chewing
Profile better but many things wrong, depressed from body dysmorphia
Few weeks post-op, underbite one side, overbite other side
Smile looks weird, bite good but tilted, afraid to complain
I regret doing it. more problems than I had before. I cannot chew, TMJ pain and headaches.
Surgeon rushed appointment, aesthetics getting worse over time
Looked so different negatively. Always wear mask outside, looks bad
Want to find way to smile at life again and be positive
Went into cardiac arrest during surgery, woke up in ICU
Badly deformed, need vertical height extra, don't look human
Perfect lips gone, thin dead lips numb, double chin from setback
I regret mine and hope functionally it doesn't get worse
All bottom teeth dying, expensive and painful root canals
I had the surgery and everything went well and looked good for years. However, now it is (seven years later) and my jaw is well on its way to being as bad as it was before surgery.
Setback advancement overdone, unnatural, psychological effect bad
Over year post-op, extremely unhappy, look awful, avoiding people
18 months post-op, chronic paresthesia, medication dependent, isolated
4 weeks post-op, things not great, surgeon dismissive of concerns
Surgeon got measurements wrong on upper jaw, considering legal action
Sister cried over loss of my old face. Struggling with self-consciousness
Devastating results. Longer face, more masculine, thinner lips, depressed
Thousands possibly hundreds of thousands of us out there
Failed surgery, chin left side of face, appearance of Bell's palsy
Unhappy, impaction new problem, enjoy smiling now impossible
Blindsided by changes didn't want. Can't stand looking at mirror/photos
10 months post-op, failed surgery, asymmetrical jaw, frustrated, devastated
Expected minor change for better. Got huge change for worse
10 months post-op, jaw advancement insufficient, surgeon dismissive
2 years post-op, underbite corrected but dislike new smile immensely
19 years old, underbite to asymmetrical overbite. Face ruined, cry daily
Compelled to talk about trauma. Uncle didn't recognize me
Lower jaw surgery, numbness, discomfort, asymmetrical jaw, increased lisp
it feels like i elected to have a major surgery that wasn't necessary. like i harmed myself in some way.
My opinion is that this surgery get reserved for only the most severe of cases. Cases where you are in so much pain, can't function, and have reached rock bottom and have nothing to lose by gambling on this surgery and it's associated risks.
3 months post-op, believe maxilla should be advanced, looks worse
Upper jaw surgery, upper lip didn't advance, still looks like underbite
Surgeon brushed off complaints, too scared to bring anything else up
Relapsed few months later
Feel I lost apart of me. Wanted to bring awareness of outcome
Hate it going on year. Wanted shorter face, now long and thin
Extremely bad experience. Result looked extremely bad, mutilated face
Lip and chin feel burnt, negative effect on quality of life