Young American men are flying across an ocean to get the jawline of their dreams, surgeons have revealed.
Dr Frederico Alfaro, who runs the Instituto Maxilofacial in Barcelona, says about half of his patients are international — with Americans being the top overseas customer.
‘In fact, my second case this morning, he is a patient from New York,’ he told DailyMail.com. ‘We get a lot of American patients.’
The clinic posts many of its patient transformations online, which likely helps to attract overseas patients looking to transform their jawlines, with about 50 percent of patients seeking the procedure for cosmetic purposes, the doctor said.
For the surgery, doctors cut and reposition the mandible — the lower jaw — and then fix it in a new position using titanium plates and screws. They may also cut bones in the midface and the chin bone in order to reposition them.
Once a patient’s case is accepted, they can join the clinic’s international package — where they book international flights and spend at least a week in Spain. The surgery itself normally takes only an hour and a half, while the remaining days allow people to recover.
Talking about his patients, Dr Alfaro said: ‘One of the main concerns is a lack of facial projection, a lack of jawline and neck definition. A lack of manliness, we could say it like this.’
The above shows one of the clinic’s patients, Gustavo, before and after he had surgery to change the shape of his jawbone and maxilla – the bone in the midface supporting the upper teeth. He also had surgery to improve the shape of his chin
At his clinic, Dr Alfaro said he gets about 200 patients a year — of which at least half are international customers.
But Dr Alfaro said in all cases his team takes a ‘holistic approach’, and will take steps to ensure a client likes the results — even if a certain procedure is not strictly medically necessary.
Surgeries such as one to reposition the jaw can cost between $17,000 and $19,000 in the US, while those to reposition the Maxilla — the bone in the midface that supports the teeth — can cost around $7,000.
Patients may have a primary consultation over the phone and will be asked to send pictures and medical notes on their situation before their surgery is accepted.
Many of the clinics patients have medical issues, such as malocclusion — misalignment of the upper and lower teeth — and sleep apnea — which can be caused by bones constricting airways.
The clinic also offers cosmetic procedures including face lifts, cheek augmentations and a blepharoplasty, or surgery to reduce the amount of skin above the eyes.
Among the clinic’s most viewed transformations on its social media is Gustavo, an 18-year-old from northern Spain, who says the surgery left him feeling ‘much more confident’.
Pictured above is Dr Frederico Hernandez Alfaro who is behind the clinic offering the surgeries
He was referred to the clinic for Class II malocclusion in 2020 — where the upper teeth significantly overlap the lower teeth causing problems chewing.
Upon intake, a questionnaire also revealed he had significant concerns about his appearance and was also suffering from mild sleep apnea.
Dr Alfaro said: ‘In the case of Gustavo, he had all these problems — but his main concern was facial aesthetics, and I have to say that probably 50 percent of my patients’ main concerns are facial aesthetics.’
During the surgery, doctors first did a bilateral sagittal split osteotomy — where the lower jaw bone is cut and repositioned more forward to align the teeth. It may then be secured using titanium plates and screws.
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He then had a Le Fort I osteotomy, where horizontal cuts are made in the upper jaw, which is then moved downward to widen airways, solving the sleep problems. It may also have been secured using titanium plates and screws.
And finally, doctors performed an advancement and descent mentoplasty, or chin advancement, surgically repositioning the chin bone to enhance its shape, position and projection.
Dr Alfaro said as part of the surgery at his clinic, they may also inject fat grafts into the cheeks and lips to further enhance a patients’ appearance and ensure they are happy with the results.
There is swelling and bruising after the surgery, which can take up to four weeks to resolve.
Many patients resume normal activities once the swelling reduces, although it can take around six months for the bones to fully heal.
Gustavo told DailyMail.com the post surgery results ‘felt incredible’ and he ‘couldn’t believe what I saw in the mirror’.
He said: ‘Even now, when I look at a picture I took the night before the operation to compare results… I still can’t believe that was me.
‘As I’ve gained more confidence in myself, things have improved. The truth is that before the operation, I didn’t even try to talk to a girl, assuming I wouldn’t get anywhere.’
