Two Jaw Surgery : Bimaxillary Osteotomy

It is very common for patients to require both upper and lower jaw surgery , sometimes with addition of genioplasty. Two jaw surgery is often referred to as “Bimaxillary Osteotomy” and if required, it is done in the one operation.
 

Why is 2 jaw surgery or “bimaxillary“ surgery done?

It is often not possible to correct the bite or achieve the desired facial outcome by operating in the one jaw alone. 2 jaw surgery allows for flexibility in moving the jaws in all planes of space to correct the bite as well as achieve facial harmony and balance. If the bite discrepancy is large, it is often more stable to divide the movements between the 2 jaws. In addition, by reducing the amount of movement or change required per jaw this may result in less excessive or unfavourable facial or soft tissue changes. Sometimes, one jaw is asymmetric while the other jaw has a length problem, and in order to have a more pleasing face, the problems need to be corrected in both jaws. Every patient is different and each patient will require an individualised design or treatment plan.