San Antonio Plastic Surgeon Dr. Jose Barrera performs jaw surgery or maxillofacial surgery in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and malocclusion. Patients undergo orthodontic evaluation, bite analysis, and facial analysis prior to consideration for jaw surgery. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea as documented by sleep study (polysomnogram) are evaluted for sleep surgery after failing positive airway pressure (CPAP) use. Patients with malocclusion who are candidates for maxillofacial surgery will undergo correction of their bite abnormality in coordination with their orthodontist. Maxillofacial surgery has high success in treating patients with malocclusion and obstructive sleep apnea. Maxillofacial Surgery San Antonio is performed in the hospital setting. Patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea are monitored in a monitored setting.

Jaw Surgeries that Dr. Barrera performs include genioglossal advancement for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Sliding genioplasty is used to align, augment, and advance the chin. Sliding genioplasty can also be used to recess an overly projected chin. In addition, Lefort osteotomy and bilateral saggittal split osteotomy (BSSO) can be used separately or in combination to correct a malocclusion and obstructive sleep apnea.

Maxillofacial surgery is also performed to correct facial trauma and facial deformities from previous tumor ablation. Facial trauma may cause injury to the nose, maxilla (upper jaw), mandible (lower jaw), orbit and eye sockets, and ear. Facial reconstruction helps to correct these abnormalities by properly realigning the bone and delicately reconstructing the skin and soft tissue that is injured or missing. Skin reconstruction may require local skin flaps and regional flaps for the best appearance. Facial scars are best treated with laser skin resurfacing, steroid and 5-fluorouracil injections, and meticulous wound care.

Maxillofacial surgery can be elective. Planning a jaw surgery often requires a multi-disciplinary approach with orthodontists, prosthodontists, Maxillofacial, ENT and Plastic Surgery specialists to achieve the best approach.