Mandibular angle resection using cervicofacial lifting surgical approach: Technical note

Abstract

Facial feminization surgery brings a set of surgical procedures that address the three thirds of the face and aims to give feminine characteristics to a masculine face. The characteristics of the lower third of a male face are a long, broad chin, a prominent mandible with sharp angles (in connection with the insertions of the masseter muscles). Mandibular angle reduction is an important procedure of the male-to-female transformation. It allows to modify the appearance of the lower third of the face, reducing the bi-mandibular distance in the coronal plane and opening the mandibular angle in profile. The classical procedure uses trans-oral surgical approach. However, patients undergoing male-to-female sexual transformation frequently present a mixed indication of cervicofacial lift and angular resection. We present an innovative surgical technique associating cervicofacial lifting and mandibular angle resection using the same cutaneous surgical approach. We describe its advantages and discuss its disadvantages.

Keywords: Gonioplasty; Inferior third of face; Sexual reassignment surgery; Transsexualism.