A 24-year-old woman was left looking like an ancient emperor after she went in for routine dental fillings and was instead given “botched” surgery.
The woman, identified only as Xiaoyu in local media, initially visited a dental hospital for fillings, implants, or routine orthodontic treatment due to a slightly protruding lower jaw, mainly noticeable in her side profile.
After examination, a doctor reportedly concluded that she required orthognathic surgery and referred her to the hospital’s maxillofacial surgery department.
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Pre-operative assessments indicated she had a 2mm mandibular protrusion.
According to local media, the appropriate treatment would have been a 2mm backward adjustment of the lower jaw.
However, surgeons at China’s Wuhan University Stomatological Hospital allegedly did the opposite.
Instead of moving her lower jaw backwards, they extended it forwards by more than 13mm.
This not only made her underbite worse, but also left her face noticeably uneven in all directions, with her jaw off-centre.
Since the procedure in 2025, several dental hospitals have assessed Xiaoyu’s condition and concluded that revision surgery would be extremely difficult.
The full reconstruction process is expected to take at least four to five years and cost more than 300,000 CNY (£33,502), as reported by Need To Know.
More significantly, she is not currently considered suitable for corrective surgery, as she cannot yet undergo the orthodontic treatment normally required beforehand.
In a self-deprecating remark, Xiaoyu has said she now resembles a portrait of Hongwu, the founding emperor of China’s Ming dynasty, who ruled from 1368 to 1398.
Surviving depictions show him with a prominent chin and pronounced underbite.
Following the surgery, the doctor allegedly first claimed her condition had “relapsed”, before later acknowledging a “surgical error”.
He is also reported to have told her: “You need to accept your new appearance.”
The lead surgeon has been identified in local media as Wu Zhongxing, an expert in orthognathic surgery, facial cosmetic surgery, and oral and maxillofacial surgery.
A member of the Chinese Association of Plastics and Aesthetics, he has published more than 10 academic papers and studied in Germany, with further training in Hong Kong and South Korea.
Xiaoyu is still seeking redress from the hospital and local health authorities.
According to the local health commission, the case remains under investigation.
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