A 24-year-old Chinese woman says she was left permanently disfigured after surgeons moved her jaw more than 13mm forward during a procedure meant to reduce her chin by 2mm.
Xiaoyu, who booked in for what she thought would be a minor cosmetic tweak, now struggles to breathe through her nose. The operation also reportedly punctured a tooth root and twisted her septum. She paid around 80,000 yuan (£8,000/$11,000) for the surgery.
Surgery 'carried out in opposite direction'
Specialists told Xiaoyu the surgery appeared to have been carried out in the opposite direction to what had originally been planned, according to her. Some reportedly questioned whether she had needed jaw surgery at all, suggesting her minor bite issue could have been treated with braces.
In one of the case's most controversial claims, Xiaoyu says the lead surgeon dismissed her concerns by telling her he liked her new appearance because it looked "more stylish" than before.
Hospital refunds and investigates
Photos shared by Chinese media showed a dramatic change to Xiaoyu's facial profile before and after the operation, sparking outrage online. Following the public backlash, Wuhan University Dental Hospital said it had refunded Xiaoyu's surgical fees, suspended the surgeon from clinical duties and launched an internal investigation.
China's health authorities are also investigating the case, which could now develop into a legal battle. Experts believe correcting the damage could require years of reconstructive treatment costing several times the original fee.
Similar botched eyelid surgery
The case follows a similar incident in China in which a woman named Wang Li was left unable to sleep or blink after a botched eyelid surgery. Wang Li said her tear ducts were damaged during an Asian blepharoplasty, a procedure designed to widen or enlarge the eyes.
According to a post by Wang Li on social media site Weibo, the alleged tear in her tear ducts means fluid fills her eyelids faster than it can be removed, causing them to bulge and even flip in on themselves. She wrote: "I can't close my eyes, and I sleep with my eyes open. My tear ducts are damaged, and tears drip uncontrollably."
