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Amanda Erben
2 years ago
Dr. Gunson and his staff are incredible from start to finish. They are thorough, professional, and compassionate. I would highly recommend Dr. Gunson and his team for your surgical needs. I have been so pleased with the results of my surgery!

Renee Robinson
2 years ago
WOW! It has been 8 weeks since my double jaw surgery with Dr. Gunson and his team and the best word I can find to describe my experience is thankful. From my first appointment (virtually due to distance and Covid) to my 8 week post op, I continue to be treated with personalized care and compassion, and I now have the amazing results to match! I was referred to Dr. Gunson and his team as "simply the best" when it came to having jaw surgery, with airway health and correct facial alignment being my top two goals. I am now another walking testament to this statement. Living on the east coast, I was initially hesitant to select the office due to the distance and the many unique challenges this would present. Even more so as a working mom of two kids under 5. However, looking back on it, I now know it was the best decision I could have made. The team made communicating remotely a seamless task, giving me a list of contacts for each step in the process. Everyone was always responsive and fielded my questions as best they could, with their many years of experience in the field guiding them. They are experienced in working with patients from all over and have a well-defined process of appointment schedules (both remote and in person) and expectations that were clearly defined from the beginning. This made planning much easier. Additionally, I found that being able to heal after surgery away from the busyness of my life for a few weeks made my recovery a smooth process. I know this is not a luxury that everyone can afford, but I credit a big part of my fast recovery to it. Goleta Valley College Hospital, where Dr. Gunson performs his surgeries, felt like home. I received personalized phone calls from all of the staff members that would be part my surgical day ahead of time. Each one took time to review their roles in my process, expectations of what was to come and answer any questions I had. The morning of surgery came with surprisingly little anxiety because the process went exactly as outlined and came with some familiar voices! Dr. Gunson and each member of the team stopped in to say good morning, crack a joke and a smile and provided some reassuring words to start me day. Post-surgery, I felt extremely well prepared and supported with all the challenges and healing that occurred. I was given a detailed packet of information in the months, weeks and days leading up to surgery. Dr. Gunson stopped by my recovery room on two different occasions during my 24 hour stay at the hospital. He was always reassuring and upbeat which kept my mindset positive and calm as the initial physical impacts of the surgery began to kick in. Kim, our clinical contact, has been our personal angel at the office. She was a familiar face at every appointment I went to and was my personalized go-to with any question or concern. She was on a first name, texting basis with both my husband and my mom after surgery responding at all hours of the night with anything. She regularly checked in on my healing and responded promptly to any questions we sent her, always reinforcing her support. This personalized touch made my family and I feel calm and confident as we navigated the first few weeks home. I still have her contact info 8 weeks later, just in case I need anything. She is the best! This was the first and only surgery I have ever gone through and I am so grateful that I was able to do it with such an amazing team around me. I don't know what it is like to deal with complications from this surgery, as my process has been seamless so far. My new bite looks and feels perfect, I am already feeling more rested when I wake up in the morning, my lip incompetence is almost 100% resolved and as a bonus, I have a profile I am confident in! Thank you to Dr. Gunson, Kim, Lori and Carol who continue to show me compassion, cheer me on in my healing and have made me proud to say I am a patient of the office and their incredible work.

Daniel Lake
2 years ago
Hello, I went to Dr. Aren't over 28 years ago and had a lot of work done. My bottom jaw, moved back, implants for my cheek bones as they didn't develope, 2 implants on my left side and one in my right side. It was the best thing that I decided to do. I still remember the date I had the surgery, June 1st 1993. In 2001 one of the implants in my left cheek bone was leaking. I was living in Las Vegas at the time. I drove from Vegas to Santa Barbara arriving in their office at midnight and had them all removed. Dr. Aren't was amazing back then and I have always wondered if he is still around! My left cheek is now starting to swell and very painful. I am not sure what to do. I don't have the implants and haven't for 20 years, not sure what is going on. I also still have all the hardware in my mouth that was put in on the initial surgery, not sure if that has something to do with it!

Renee Robinson
3 years ago
WOW! It has been 8 weeks since my double jaw surgery with Dr. Gunson and his team and the best word I can find to describe my experience is thankful. From my first appointment (virtually due to distance and Covid) to my 8 week post op, I continue to be treated with personalized care and compassion, and I now have the amazing results to match! I was referred to Dr. Gunson and his team as "simply the best" when it came to having jaw surgery, with airway health and correct facial alignment being my top two goals. I am now another walking testament to this statement. Living on the east coast, I was initially hesitant to select the office due to the distance and the many unique challenges this would present. Even more so as a working mom of two kids under 5. However, looking back on it, I now know it was the best decision I could have made. The team made communicating remotely a seamless task, giving me a list of contacts for each step in the process. Everyone was always responsive and fielded my questions as best they could, with their many years of experience in the field guiding them. They are experienced in working with patients from all over and have a well-defined process of appointment schedules (both remote and in person) and expectations that were clearly defined from the beginning. This made planning much easier. Additionally, I found that being able to heal after surgery away from the busyness of my life for a few weeks made my recovery a smooth process. I know this is not a luxury that everyone can afford, but I credit a big part of my fast recovery to it. Goleta Valley College Hospital, where Dr. Gunson performs his surgeries, felt like home. I received personalized phone calls from all of the staff members that would be part my surgical day ahead of time. Each one took time to review their roles in my process, expectations of what was to come and answer any questions I had. The morning of surgery came with surprisingly little anxiety because the process went exactly as outlined and came with some familiar voices! Dr. Gunson and each member of the team stopped in to say good morning, crack a joke and a smile and provided some reassuring words to start me day. Post-surgery, I felt extremely well prepared and supported with all the challenges and healing that occurred. I was given a detailed packet of information in the months, weeks and days leading up to surgery. Dr. Gunson stopped by my recovery room on two different occasions during my 24 hour stay at the hospital. He was always reassuring and upbeat which kept my mindset positive and calm as the initial physical impacts of the surgery began to kick in. Kim, our clinical contact, has been our personal angel at the office. She was a familiar face at every appointment I went to and was my personalized go-to with any question or concern. She was on a first name, texting basis with both my husband and my mom after surgery responding at all hours of the night with anything. She regularly checked in on my healing and responded promptly to any questions we sent her, always reinforcing her support. This personalized touch made my family and I feel calm and confident as we navigated the first few weeks home. I still have her contact info 8 weeks later, just in case I need anything. She is the best! This was the first and only surgery I have ever gone through and I am so grateful that I was able to do it with such an amazing team around me. I don't know what it is like to deal with complications from this surgery, as my process has been seamless so far. My new bite looks and feels perfect, I am already feeling more rested when I wake up in the morning, my lip incompetence is almost 100% resolved and as a bonus, I have a profile I am confident in! Thank you to Dr. Gunson, Kim, Lori and Carol who continue to show me compassion, cheer me on in my healing and have made me proud to say I am a patient of the office and their incredible work.

Lacy Gutshall
3 years ago
I am currently a patient of Dr.Gunson. I have battled with head, neck, and jaw pain for over 15 years. I have tried Physical Therapy, 3 rounds of orthodontia, and years of personal training trying to attain comfort. I am athletic and have struggled with breathing, sleep apnea, and even anxiety due to having a small airway. I know this was the main cause because ALL of my symptoms have highly diminished immediately following surgery. I am astounded with the ease of my recovery and beyond amazed with my results. My experience with Arnett Gunson Facial Reconstruction was FANTASTIC! From the moment I walked in for my first consult I felt heard and respected. The way Dr.Gunson and his staff support and educate their patients is incredible. His bedside manner is attentive, confident, calming, and reassuring. He is highly meticulous and I truly appreciate his attention to detail in finding facial balance. Post surgery I could breathe better immediately, and now comfortably sleep through the night. Anxiety and tension headaches have diminished. I DIDNT KNOW IT WAS POSSIBLE TO FEEL THIS GOOD! I am beyond Thankful for my highly positive experience with Dr.Gunson and his staff. I will forever be grateful for the incredible impact this surgery has had on my health and life!

Patricia Carpenter
3 years ago
Dr. Gunson and his team are absolutely incredible! From first meeting Dr. Gunson and his team at my consultation in summer 2018 to today (a little more than six months post-operation), I have continued to be blown away by the level of care Dr. Gunson and his office provide. Not only are Dr. Gunson and his staff the finest, most thorough team you can find for your maxillofacial surgery, but they are also extremely compassionate and invested in each patient's well-being. Dr. Gunson is passionate about his work and about providing the best results for his patients. After having had Dr. Gunson perform my surgery, it is apparent how much pride Dr. Gunson takes in his work - and if you ask me, that is the only type of surgeon I want operating on me! Maxillofacial surgery is major surgery and life-altering, so choosing the best surgeon is critical. I know how important selecting a surgeon is because my mom had to have maxillofacial surgery twice - the second surgery was to revise the dreadful outcome of the first surgery. Arnett-Gunson performed my mom's second surgery, in order to revise the damage the first surgeon caused, and we were blown away by her wonderful results. Arnett-Gunson made my mom look like my mom again and completely fixed her jaw and bite. After seeing what kind of damage a bad surgeon can inflict on a patient, and then seeing how Arnett-Gunson was able to correct my mom's botched surgery, I knew I was only going to trust the top maxillofacial surgeon (i.e., Dr. Gunson) with my surgery. Now that I am a little over six months post-op, I feel great and my bite feels fantastic! I could not be happier with the results! It's so strange to think I lived this long with such a misaligned jaw and bite, but now that my bite is completely fixed, I notice how wrong my bite was before my surgery. Everything just feels "right" now with the way I bite down and chew. Not only does my bite feel great, but also my migraines have completely gone away. Before my surgery, I would get migraines approximately twice a month (sometimes three times) and they were horrible. Dr. Gunson had told me, prior to my surgery, that migraines could be a result of my misaligned jaw and he was absolutely right. It is such a relief not to have to miss work or waste a weekend day in bed because of a bad migraine anymore. Overall, I just couldn't be happier with my results and the outcome of my surgery. I can't say enough about how exceptional Dr. Gunson and his team are! I would never trust anyone else to perform such a major surgery on me. Thank you for everything, Dr. Gunson!

Kim Q
4 years ago
My experience with this surgeon has been a living nightmare. Arnett Gunson came highly recommended to me by my local orthodontist for treatment of sleep apnea. I thought I was going to one of the best in the world and I put full trust in the process. Boy was I wrong. Double jaw surgery with Dr. Gunson has destroyed my life in ways I never could have imagined. Not only is my sleep apnea worse, Dr. Gunson severed my facial nerve during double jaw surgery and told me it was repaired. After surgery he led me to believe that I needed to wait for my facial nerve to regenerate. I waited and waited with no change in symptoms. Dr. Gunson let me wait too long. A nerve surgeon in Atlanta attempted nerve repair but could not find my nerve. Dr. Gunson believed the surgeon was looking in the wrong place so I waited some more. I will now live the rest of my life without a facial nerve. Prior to surgery I was told that only 1% of his patients end up with some numb spots. That is totally false. I have NO feeling in my chin and bottom lip and most of my teeth and gums are numb. Like going to the dentist, getting anesthesia and it never wearing off. Food feels foreign. The difficulty with the numbness doesn't compare to the extreme altered sensation I have to live with 24 hours a day. I feel as if I am horse bridled and have a vice hanging from my lip. It is awful!!! It's clear and so disturbing to me now that Dr. Gunson did not have a protocol in place for monitoring and diagnosing nerve damage caused by his surgery!! I still cannot comprehend this. I know things don't always go as planned in the OR but the aftercare in the management of complications is equally important. Also, I no longer have a FUNCTIONAL bite. I cannot eat properly and I am in constant pain. I never had bite issues and never considered I'd not be able to eat properly and that my jaws could end up torqued causing a lifetime of pain. My anterior teeth have been hitting for almost 2 years and my teeth are loose. 2 orthos and several dentists and dollars later, every one of my permanent teeth have been altered in an attempt to camouflage the bad bite. I cannot chew my food properly and have been on a soft diet for 22 months. My tongue sticks out between my front teeth and my upper jaw is deviated to one side yet Dr. Gunson has said my " bite looks good". For almost 2 years I flew back and forth cross country to see Dr. Gunson. I even changed to his orthodontist to hopefully improve communication but my symptoms kept worsening. Surgery with this office was for nothing and I paid dearly. The list goes on and on. Bone paste in my sinus cavity, mentalis muscle damage, gross FACIAL asymmetry. Im totally devastated. Everything promised on the Arnett Gunson website was taken from me. The solutions given for this poor surgical outcome are just as overwhelming. I've been told I need full mouth restorations ($50,000 plus which Dr. Gunson commented is fairly cheap), a rhinoplasty with a plastic surgeon or another surgery for my pushed up nostril, and drugs for the nerve pain caused by the obliterated nerve. After a year and a half of flying back and forth to Santa Barbara, Dr. Gunson blames my orthodontist and most recently told me I must have a nonexistent disorder for the cause of my complications. I am not alone in my Gunson horror story. It is truly hard to comprehend the damage to me and my family--and now I need a lifetime of aftercare. He is not the best surgeon. Run don't walk!

Mike Jack
4 years ago
I am one of the victims of Dr Gunson I had a double jaw advancement surgery for sleep apnea which not only did not treat my sleep apnea (my sleep apnea worsened I had to switch to bipap from cpap)but I ended up with with multiple problems including breathing difficulty that affected my health. First my bite is edge to edge which means only the front teeth are touching my molars and back teeth are not touching at all and I can't chew my food properly. My tongue is protruding between my front teeths and deviated to one side and I have choking sensation and breathing difficulty.I learned from another oral surgeon that Gunson did a counterclockwise rotation of my bones and the only way to correct my poorly aligned jaw bones is another surgery and that may or may not work and could make me worse.Of course I have a nasty mix of numbness and tingling of both lips that feels terrible and sometimes painful he told me before surgery that only 1% of his patients end up with some numb spots that was a total lie ( DO Not believe him you will have some kind of nerve damage after jaw surgery). When I went to him for post op visit with all these problems he went on the defensive blaming everything on the braces and on me he even gave me sleeping pills for my sleep apnea! Of course I did a sleep study that showed that I still have obstructive sleep apnea. In summary having this unnecessary surgery was a lifetime mistake that I paid a great price for it. BEWARE of this surgeon go see him at your own risk he did not care about me only cares about himself and his reputation. He destroyed my mouth and destroyed my life.

Antonia Blyth
4 years ago
I'm a patient of Dr Gunson and had a 3 piece Le fort with lower jaw and genio. What can I say? This man is so brilliant and dedicated that he changed my life enormously. He's also - apart from being enormously skilled- incredibly kind and compassionate. I'm so grateful to have found him and his staff. He has supported me through an extremely intense surgical experience. Trust me, this surgery isn't for the faint of heart, but I always felt entirely safe in his hands. And I was right.

Patricia Carpenter
4 years ago
Dr. Gunson and his team are absolutely incredible! From first meeting Dr. Gunson and his team at my consultation in summer 2018 to today (a little more than six months post-operation), I have continued to be blown away by the level of care Dr. Gunson and his office provide. Not only are Dr. Gunson and his staff the finest, most thorough team you can find for your maxillofacial surgery, but they are also extremely compassionate and invested in each patient's well-being. Dr. Gunson is passionate about his work and about providing the best results for his patients. After having had Dr. Gunson perform my surgery, it is apparent how much pride Dr. Gunson takes in his work - and if you ask me, that is the only type of surgeon I want operating on me! Maxillofacial surgery is major surgery and life-altering, so choosing the best surgeon is critical. I know how important selecting a surgeon is because my mom had to have maxillofacial surgery twice - the second surgery was to revise the dreadful outcome of the first surgery. Arnett-Gunson performed my mom's second surgery, in order to revise the damage the first surgeon caused, and we were blown away by her wonderful results. Arnett-Gunson made my mom look like my mom again and completely fixed her jaw and bite. After seeing what kind of damage a bad surgeon can inflict on a patient, and then seeing how Arnett-Gunson was able to correct my mom's botched surgery, I knew I was only going to trust the top maxillofacial surgeon (i.e., Dr. Gunson) with my surgery. Now that I am a little over six months post-op, I feel great and my bite feels fantastic! I could not be happier with the results! It's so strange to think I lived this long with such a misaligned jaw and bite, but now that my bite is completely fixed, I notice how wrong my bite was before my surgery. Everything just feels "right" now with the way I bite down and chew. Not only does my bite feel great, but also my migraines have completely gone away. Before my surgery, I would get migraines approximately twice a month (sometimes three times) and they were horrible. Dr. Gunson had told me, prior to my surgery, that migraines could be a result of my misaligned jaw and he was absolutely right. It is such a relief not to have to miss work or waste a weekend day in bed because of a bad migraine anymore. Overall, I just couldn't be happier with my results and the outcome of my surgery. I can't say enough about how exceptional Dr. Gunson and his team are! I would never trust anyone else to perform such a major surgery on me. Thank you for everything, Dr. Gunson!

Lacy Gutshall
4 years ago
I am currently a patient of Dr.Gunson. I have battled with head, neck, and jaw pain for over 15 years. I have tried Physical Therapy, 3 rounds of orthodontia, and years of personal training trying to attain comfort. I am athletic and have struggled with breathing, sleep apnea, and even anxiety due to having a small airway. I know this was the main cause because ALL of my symptoms have highly diminished immediately following surgery. I am astounded with the ease of my recovery and beyond amazed with my results. My experience with Arnett Gunson Facial Reconstruction was FANTASTIC! From the moment I walked in for my first consult I felt heard and respected. The way Dr.Gunson and his staff support and educate their patients is incredible. His bedside manner is attentive, confident, calming, and reassuring. He is highly meticulous and I truly appreciate his attention to detail in finding facial balance. Post surgery I could breathe better immediately, and now comfortably sleep through the night. Anxiety and tension headaches have diminished. I DIDNT KNOW IT WAS POSSIBLE TO FEEL THIS GOOD! I am beyond Thankful for my highly positive experience with Dr.Gunson and his staff. I will forever be grateful for the incredible impact this surgery has had on my health and life!

Kathleen Carp
4 years ago
Many of the reviews posted here are not surgical patients of Dr. Gunson. They are business associates, employees and even family of Dr. Gunson. I am a actually a surgical patient who was abandoned by Dr. Gunson with serious and permanent complications caused. I regret the day I decided to have surgery with Dr. Gunson. Sometimes things go wrong, but it's what you do next that matters. I thought I was in good hands, but just realized I was not. In addition to advancing only my lower jaw 14mm according to his records, leaving my maxilla retruded, I am left with: (1) an edge to edge class 3 bite; (2) severe and permanent nerve damage; (3)chronic swelling in my jaw from a lump from his bone paste and an abscess from where he punctured by tooth roots and a jaw infection; (5) he torqued my mandible during to the right (6) he used experimental dental prep and crowns placed on my teeth three days before surgery and the way he operated left me with no natural movement of my lower jaw; and (7) holding me in a traumatic bite has caused severe reabsorption of my the bone in my mandible, and my condyles have deteriorated now from this surgery. He put me though 8 attempts of restorative dentistry costing me over $100,000 with no luck to restore my bite and function.

McKay Mohun
4 years ago
On July 11th of 2018, I underwent a double jaw surgery to correct a class 3 underbite. Since this would be a very complex surgery, my family and I did extensive research to find a surgeon who we believed would be best suited to address my case. While there are many oral surgeons who have the knowledge and capability to serve their patients' needs, few if any came as highly recommended as Dr. Gunson and his team of support staff. After speaking with my dentist, orthodontist, and others who had undergone this surgery, I learned that Dr. Gunson was not only highly recommended and well respected in his field but he is also recognized as a leading innovator through his work as well as his research. Upon meeting him and his staff in person, I could not have been more impressed with his how quickly he understood my case. He clearly explained to me all elements of the procedure, reminding me that this was a team effort, meaning that as a patient my role was to follow his instructions to the best of my ability. Before, during, and after the surgery, my confidence in him and his team never waned. Now nearly a year after my surgery, I could not be happier with my results.

Burke McComb
4 years ago
Dr. Gunson and his whole staff were incredibly accommodating and professional. Could not recommend more!

Karen Nerdin
4 years ago
Dr.Gunson is amazing, his staff is amazing, that's all you need to know! Both of my children have had outstanding results because of theses skilled and caring people. They are to be frank, THE BEST and I only choose the best for my kids.

Peggy Hodson
4 years ago
Dr. Gunson is an artist. Beyond that he is conscientious and compassionate with his patients. So lucky to have found him and his wonderful staff! I couldn't be happier with this office!

Stephanie Zundel
4 years ago
Dr Gunson is fantastic! I have been so pleased with the results of my surgery. I would recommend him to anyone who needs Oral Maxiofacial surgery.

Michael Hodson
4 years ago
Dr Gunson is an artist. I've personally seen his work as well as experienced it firsthand. Professional and friendly staff, very rare to find a medical professional that cares and focuses on each patient with the same level of personal touch.

Antonia Blyth
4 years ago
I'm a patient of Dr Gunson and had a 3 piece Le fort with lower jaw and genio. What can I say? This man is so brilliant and dedicated that he changed my life enormously. He's also - apart from being enormously skilled- incredibly kind and compassionate. I'm so grateful to have found him and his staff. He has supported me through an extremely intense surgical experience. Trust me, this surgery isn't for the faint of heart, but I always felt entirely safe in his hands. And I was right.

Clayton Nerdin
4 years ago
So much better, can't even believe it. I was super worried I was going to miss my volleyball season because of the surgery, but they put me on the fast track to make sure I had enough time to recover and not miss my senior season. So glad I did it. The recovery wasn't fun, obviously, but now my teeth are perfectly straight, my bite is perfect and I'm so glad I went ahead with it. Thanks Doctor G!