Masseter hypertrophy occurs when you overuse your main jaw muscle, the masseter muscle. This muscle helps in opening and closing the jaw, but bulks up from overuse like any other muscle. When this increase in size and width happens, the condition is called masseter hypertrophy. The only permanent solution to this is masseter hypertrophy reduction surgery.
Sometimes, the bulked-up masseter muscle changes the jawbone’s shape, too. Especially if the hypertrophy only happens on one side, it completely throws off facial symmetry. Surgery can correct all these asymmetries, especially with the modern technologies available today.
Masseter Hypertrophy Reduction Surgery – An Overview
There are three stages to this procedure:
- Planning
- Procedure
- Recovery
Understanding each part is essential for a holistic comprehension of what the procedure entails. Let us go through them one by one.
Planning for Masseter Hypertrophy Reduction
Maxillofacial surgeons today have access to state-of-the-art virtual surgical planning and 3D printing technology. During your consultation with an expert maxillofacial surgeon in Delhi, you can plan every aspect of your outcome before ever stepping into the operating theatre.
This stage involves virtually planning your procedure and seeing your outcome unfold before your eyes, reasonably controlling the final result. Once your surgeon knows how much muscle to debulk and the kind of jawline you desire, they can print out a 3D cutting guide to use during the procedure.
The precision offered by such technology negates the need for any skin incision on the face or neck that might compromise jaw function and aesthetics. Instead, the entire procedure is planned from start to finish, and you go in knowing what your results will look like.
Masseter Hypertrophy Reduction Surgery
The planning pays off during the final procedure when your surgeon only needs to make one incision in your oral cavity to access your masseter muscle. If you need jawline contouring, they can perform that procedure through the same incision. This incision placement avoids any visible scarring.
During the procedure, your surgeon detaches the masseter muscle from the jawbone by disconnecting the deeper muscle fibers. They then thin down these fibers, re-attach the muscle, and close the incision. The entire procedure only takes roughly 20 minutes.
For jawbone resection, expert surgeons use the latest piezosurgery technology, i.e. ultrasonic bone surgery. The piezotome device targets bone, leaving nearby nerves and tissue intact, minimizing trauma and speeding up recovery considerably. Using a 3D printed guide enhances precision and assures surgeons that they will not nick anything important during the procedure.
Recovery After Masseter Hypertrophy Reduction
Some staples of recovery include:
- Swelling for 7-10 days
- Trismus, i.e. difficulty in opening your mouth for 7-10 days
- Avoiding solid foods and heavy exercise for 7 days
- Regular saline rises to maintain oral wound hygiene
You see results from this daycare outpatient procedure within a month as the swelling reduces and your muscle relaxes into shape.
With our expert maxillofacial surgeon in Delhi, Dr Sanchaita Kohli, you are in safe hands. Dr. Kohli manages effective, long-term results from completely safe procedures using the advanced infrastructure at RG Aesthetics!