Recommended Doctor
Willie STEPHENS MD
Oral and Maxillofacial - Massachusetts Boston

I highly highly highly recommend Dr. Stevens. I was a relatively simple case for him (just a few implants and one complex tooth extraction) but I am so impressed with his ability as a surgeon, his bed side manners, he makes you feel so comfortable and you know that your care and safety is of utmost importance to him. I can't say enough how lucky I feel having him do the work that I needed.

Dr. Stephens is an angel. He is an incredible skilled Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon. I had severe sleep apnea TMJ for years. My dentist said "you have to go see Willie - he is the best" and he was right. Dr. Stephens is a brilliant, humble, caring surgeon. Talking to him is like talking to your best friend. He puts his patients as his top priority, calling to see if you are feeling OK, seeing you at nights or weekends, whenever you need him - he is there. His family is so lucky to have this man who has done so much to better people's lives around the world. Talking to him about his lifelong experiences in medicine has been fascinating. He has truly given his life to medicine and helping people. He fixed my jaw problems in a very lengthy surgery - 13 hours and suddenly I was "mask free" and the first tine in years could breathe through my nose. He moved my jaw forward and put in new joints replacing the old worn out jaw joints. My profile changed, many thought I had a face lift (haha) - a life lift is more like it. I had to have a second surgery a year later to fix the upper jaw - cause I "brux" - clench and grind a lot - that was done with the same patience, care and high level to detail as the first longer surgery. He takes these surgeries very seriously, takes his time in a very methodical manner. He is one of the most caring and compassionate doctors I have met in a very long time. He is so humble in his expertise. His knowledge in oral surgery is amazing. You could not wish for a better experienced surgeon. His skills and his personality are truly amazing. A very special person to this field.

Dr Stephens is an amazing surgeon who literally gave me my life back after suffering from obstructive sleep apnea for 10 years. At only 33 years old I was living life as an 80 year old. CPAP did not work for me, it was not enough. He did several procedures on me and as of yesterday I am one month post op and already the difference is astounding. I sleep like a normal person, wake up refreshed and have the energy to go about my life. Dr Stephens is incredibly caring and made sure all my questions were answered and explained the entire procedure to me. After I was discharged from the hospital he called every day for about 4-5 days to make sure my recovery was going smoothly. Im never had a doctor of anything have that much personal follow up. He truly cares about his patients and when you have an issue he wants to tackle it right then and there so you receive the proper care you need.
The surgery I had was incredibly MAJOR jaw surgery and very scary to think about. I would never have trusted anyone but Dr Stephens to do it but with Dr Stephens I was not scared in the least before going into surgery. he is AMAZING!

Our family is very honored and humbled that Dr Willie Nelson agreed to treat our daughter almost as an emergency case. She was suffering from a blocked saliva duct caused by a stone. While this condition is very painful, I am sure that it was not a 'big case' for the Doctor. Yet, he treated her promptly and meticulously and with the utmost kindness and cheerfulness.
We are very, very grateful for his care and attention!
Anne

I just had my jaw replaced by Dr. Stephens and as I read some of the other comments I feel it has already been stated. Dr. Stephens operated on my jaw for 12 hours in August. I had my first jaw operation when I was 17 and have been suffering for the past 7 years with sleep depravation and lack of oxygen. I was scared to death of the operation but my dentist could not say enough about Dr. Willie. He is such an incredible doctor. He puts his patient's needs above all and actually saw me during the weekend (what)...Yeah....Dr. Willie is a person as well as a skilled surgeon who I feel has saved me. I've been depressed and lost all interest in life and wasn't even sure if I wanted to make it through the operation. I really can't say enough. I am still recovering as he moved my surgery up and my teeth were not ready but he did this because I was suffering so badly. I still cannot eat and have infections because of another illness but my family cannot believe the difference already. I still have a long road to get back my strength but I seen an end to that tunnel now. I just have to stop as this is long enough but he gave me my life back.
Thank you Dr. Stephens...

Dr. Willie Stephens is the best surgeon in the WORLD! He literally gave me life life back after suffering with TMJ for 30 years. Although he told me it went way beyond that. He gave me a total jaw joint replacement as I believe I very much needed it but unforntunatetly I was born before people ever even heard the 3 little letters TMJ that destroys lives as it did mine just up until now.

I was referred to Dr. Stephens by my dentist. I had some major dental problems that ended up requiring several extractions, two bone graphs followed by 11 implants. Throughout the time I was seeing Dr. Stephens I found him to be a caring individual with an excellent "bedside manner". I came to see Dr. Stephens more as a friend than my oral and maxillofacial surgeon. His willingness to see me after hours or on weekends because of my busy work travel schedule made my experience so much easier to deal with. It took a couple of years for the entire project to be completed and I couldn't think of a better doctor to have to it than Dr. Stephens. The project is complete and I an extremely happy with the results. So is my wife and she is the one who gets to look at Dr. Stephens work every day.

I was referred to Doctor Stephens by my dentist for a bone graft. Talking with him about my medical history he was especially interested in my sleep apnea and my limited success with the CPAP. He told me he has many times performed MMA surgery to cure sleep apnea. He said this has improved the lives of a lot of sleep apnea patients and could do the same for me. My surgery was scheduled and during the eleven and one half hour procedure he moved my jaw forward eight millimeters. This opened up my airway to improve my breathing. When I woke up, no more apnea! I had a lot of stiffness in my jaw but almost no pain. It is great not to have to sleep with a CPAP. My only regret is I did not meet Doctor Stephens years earlier and had my apnea problem fixed then.

Dr. Stephens is a brilliant skilled surgeon. I have had severe JRA for 33 years now and have had two previous surgeries on my jaw before seeing him. He determined that a total jaw replacement was the best way to go, and he was right!!! When I had seen him, my jaw was fused so badly that I couldn't even get my toothbrush into my mouth. I had great difficutly eating. He has a great bedside manner, he is caring, he explains everything to you, and answers every question you have, you never feel rushed with him. After I got out of the hospital, I had had a reaction to one of the medications that I was on, and he had me come to his office (when he was in Brookline) at 8:00 PM and he did an IV in the office to re-hydrate me, as well as wanting me to come to his office on Sunday to follow up. He goes way out of his way to make sure his patients have the best care, he actually cares about his patients. Thanks to him, I now have use of my jaw and my life back!!!!

My husband and I first met Dr Stephens in February 2004 after an incomplete surgery was done locally to remove cancer from his jaw bone. The extent of bone and tissue that needed to be removed in order to get rid of the cancer was extensive. This left reconstruction of his jaw very difficult due to the expanse of bone and tissue loss. Prior to surgical removal Dr Stephens had a scan done and a model of his jaw made. It was amazing how the custom titanium prosthetic was able to replicate his orginal jaw line once installed. We had discussed the use of bone instead of the prosthetic and were thankful to be able to have been offered this alternative, as it gave strength and stability for his new jaw to function. This worked well for 3 years until the excessive radiation necrosis eventually dislocated the prosthetic. There was then a disruption and delay in the continuity of his treatment process leading to its eventual removal. The tension was so great in his mouth that I couldn't imagine how a bone taken from his leg could have survived as long as the prosthetic did under such stress and would have wasted a healthy bone. Dr Stephens continues to give us hope and support by using his expertise for evaluating a difficult reconstruction situation and having a plan for a positive outcome. We are looking forward to getting his prosthetic reinstalled, working properly and getting on with life. Dr Stephens is not only a gifted surgeon he is my life line and hope.
Ann Stein

I met Dr Stephens in 2005. I had been suffering from depression, fatigue, lack of concentration and embarrassingly loud snoring. Doctors misdiagnosed me on several occasions because of my age, gender and small frame. Finally, after seeking treatment for the snoring, a sleep study revealed severe sleep apnea. I was immediately fitted with a CPAP machine and I was told that that was the only successful treatment. The CPAP was big, loud and I always unconsciously took it off my face at night. I ended up just as sleep deprived with the CPAP as I was without it. I asked several doctors about surgery. They told me about procedures that cut the palate and the tongue. These procedures had a low rate of success and complications so I kept searching. I looked into this new study electric pulses and I looked at an orthodontic device. Nothing sounded promising. Finally, a dentist gave me Dr Stephens' business card. I met Dr Stephens and knew after my first appointment that I found the help I needed. He understood all of my frustrations with sleep apnea and explained a jaw surgery in which my upper and lower jaw would move forward. It was a major surgery, but Dr Stephens shared every detail with me and answered all of my questions. I knew it would be quite the procedure and it was. I needed braces months before to prep. After surgery I was out of work for 3 weeks and on liquids for 6 weeks. It was a tough recovery and it took a lot of strength and attentive friends and relatives to get through, After all of that, I can say that it was 100% worth it. My apnea and snoring have practically disappeared. I've been promoted twice at work since I found my energy again and have had no need for anti-depressants. My jaw line is also improved aesthetically. If you have sleep apnea and can't use the CPAP, see Dr Stephens NOW. This procedure change my life.

My journey with Dr. Stephens began in the US about two years ago, soon after completing two and a half years of orthodontic treatment, lower jaw and chin surgery in the UK. I arrived in the USA to begin a new life with my family, but unfortunately these were the unhappiest days of my life. My surgery in the UK had gone horribly wrong and in the days before leaving for the US, my UK surgeon remained in absolute denial that there was a problem. From my perspective, my face had been destroyed and I felt anger and shame that I had allowed somebody to do this to me. I felt frightened at the thought of further surgery because my experience had been so bad, but I knew very quickly that there was no way that I could live the rest of my life with this face that I did not recognize in the mirror, or the one that I saw reflected in shop and car windows. I started my search for somebody who would listen to my story and who I could trust to help me. At this stage, I did not feel that I could go back through jaw surgery because so much had gone so wrong, instead I sought the advice of plastic surgeons. However, I soon realized that their suggested solutions would not solve my real problems. Thankfully, one suggested seeing an orthodontist and that's when my life took on a rosier picture because the orthodontist immediately referred me to Dr. Stephens. Since that day I have never looked back - Dr. Stephens was my saviour, quite literally. He worked tirelessly and listened carefully to my story and concerns and over the next six months or so, re-built my trrust in the medical profession and developed a plan to solve my numerous problems. Despite my fear of having more jaw surgery, his caring, confident, personal approach and detailed examination of all the options convinced me that upper jaw surgery needed to be part of the solution. The wonderful thing about Dr. Stephens is his ability to make you his number one priority and provide the dedication and care, pre and post surgery, which you could only expect from a family member. He has given me my life back by re-creating the face that I recognize and can live with happily. I will be grateful to him forr the rest of my days and enjoy life to the full thanks to his great professionalism and unwillingness to turn down a challenge or accept defeat.

He is a GOD , Awesome Dr. stephens is the greatest Doctor I ever had. 2 Thums UP!!!!

I have been a longterm patient of Dr. Willie Stephens. Words could not begin to express how importent he has been in my life. I am living my life with quality! Surviving with a positive outlook and a wonderful future. Treated with respect and dignity. On a one to one basis as a person not an illness!

i was shot in the face. the bullet went through the nose completely blew out roof of my mouth, knocked out front teeth, shredded the tongue and came out of my neck breaking the lower jaw in 2 places. it was not life threatening like my other wounds ( i had 7 !!! more bullets in me, but this one destroyed my face) I met dr Stephens about 10 months after being wounded. I already had one bone graft surgery that failed and doctor rob Lincoln completely gave up on me and would not even return my calls. Every doctor i saw pretty much told me the same thing; i'd have to live like that for the rest of my life. Except dr Stephens. He assured me he could help me, and told me we would get there many times. in fact he at times he seemed a lot more sure than i was, with the kind of devastating injury that i had and multiple doctors just spread their hands and said, sorry pal, tough luck. Things did not go well for me, first 2 bone grafts dr Stephens did failed, got infected and had to be removed. But he did not give up. Dr Stephens teamed up with dr Pribaz ( a great plastic surgeon at Brighams also) and my fourth bone graft finally took. in all dr Stephens probably operated on me 12-15 times at least. It took a long time, but now 5 years later my face is completely restored. DR WILLIE STEPHENS PERFORMED A MIRACLE!!! i had 44 surgeries. i met more doctors that anybody i know. But doctor Stephens is the best doctor i was lucky enough to meet. his bedside manner, his incredible skill, his attention, and his humor, will make you feel safe and know you'll be all right. Dr Stephens is an incredible doctor and i 'm in debt to him for the rest of my life. Gene Y

Dr. Willie Stephens is an unbelievable man. I am so honored to have him perform my surgeries on my cleft/plalate hair lip. I met him a year ago and after having over 50 plus surgeries i was a little hesitant (will this be the one?) well, i am thirlled to say he is the ONE!!! His operative and bedside manner were behind the call of duty. He is so quiet but yet outgoing, has a great sense of humor, really makes u feel good about what your doing even it that entails going under the knife. He'll call u, days after the procedure just to say "hi' "how ya doing" what dr these days does that? HHHMmm? not many. His painmanagement teqniques i was worred about but he took well care of me and did not kick my butt out of the hospital until, my husband, son and I were comfortable with me coming hom. I look forward to the other surgeries with him, cause he is AWESOME , grade A in my book. Thank u Dr. Stephes, your the joint!!!!!!!!!!1