A 24-year-old woman in China has accused a hospital of leaving her with a severely deformed face after corrective jaw surgery, claiming a procedure that was meant to make a minor adjustment instead extended her lower jaw by more than six times the intended amount.
According to Chinese media reports, the woman from Hubei province underwent orthognathic surgery, commonly known as corrective jaw surgery, at the Wuhan University School of Stomatology in 2025. She later shared her experience online after noticing her face had become crooked and her lower jaw appeared to protrude less than a month after the operation.
The woman reportedly visited the hospital for a consultation related to dental fillings. However, she claimed the attending doctor recommended corrective jaw surgery after assessing her condition.
Before the procedure, she allegedly had only a slight lower jaw protrusion that required an adjustment of around 2mm. Instead, the surgery reportedly lengthened her lower jaw by more than 13mm, leaving her with significant facial deformities.
Authorities reportedly identify medical error
Local reports cited by Chinese-language media stated that subsequent reviews by relevant authorities concluded the operation involved a misdiagnosis and medical error.
The woman sought opinions from several dental hospitals, which reportedly told her that reconstructive surgery would be extremely complex. Doctors estimated it could take between four and five years to complete and cost more than 300,000 yuan (approximately S$57,300).
She said she never expected a procedure intended to correct a minor jaw issue would leave her with a visibly crooked face and a pronounced jawline.
Surgeon allegedly told patient to accept new appearance
When confronted about the outcome, the surgeon reportedly acknowledged there had been a slight error in the precision of the procedure.
However, the doctor allegedly told the patient she should learn to accept her new appearance because her face looked more “stylish”, according to local media reports.
Dissatisfied with the response, the woman filed repeated complaints with both the hospital and the local Health Commission.
She was reportedly informed that the Health Commission was handling the matter, though it remains unclear whether any disciplinary action has been taken or whether compensation has been offered.