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Surgeries / Procedures

• Abdominoplasty
• Blepharoplasty
• Brachioplasty
• Breast Augmentation
• Buttock Augmentation
• Calf Augmentation
• Cheek Reduction Surgery
• Chin Surgery
• Facelift
• Forehead lift
• Gynecomastia
• Lip Augmentation
• Liposuction
• Mastopexy
• Otoplasty
• Rhinoplasty

 

A balanced facial appearance depends partly on the shape and size of your chin in relationship to your nose. Chin surgery can reduce (mentoplasty) or augment (genioplasty) the chin to give your face a more balanced appearance.

A recent study of facial bones by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons demonstrated that individual facial bones shift, reduce, or enlarge with age. Because of the age-related nature of the changes, most chin surgery patients are adults.

Chin surgery is usually performed in an outpatient surgical center or hospital. The procedure may be performed under local anesthesia (sedated, numbed, and awake). For more complicated cases, general anesthesia may be used (asleep). Patients usually return home within hours of the procedure. Some patients require an overnight stay. Depending upon the extent of the case, time in surgery may be one or more hours.

To decide how to proceed, the surgeon will examine your chin and jaw, and weigh factors that could influence the outcome of surgery, such as your age, skin type, and whether you are psychologically prepared for treatment.

Mentoplasty: Chin Reduction

During mentoplasty surgery, the surgeon makes an incision in one of two possible locations:

• under the lower lip inside the mouth
• under the chin in an inconspicuous location

The surgeon will then use an electrical instrument (a bone burr or a drill) to reduce and reshape the bone to create a more natural appearance. The surgeon will stitch the incision closed and apply tape to the chin area.

Genioplasty: Chin Augmentation

Genioplasty can be performed by the use of a chin implant to augment a receding chin, or by the surgical advancement of the bone itself. Once you and your surgeon decide whether to use a silastic chin implant or to advance your own bone, the incision will be chosen.

If you choose a chin implant, the incision is in one of two possible locations:

• under the lower lip inside the mouth
• under the chin in an inconspicuous location

The implant is placed in an appropriately sized pocket. Sizers are used to achieve the best appearance; then the actual implant is carefully placed and the incisions are closed.

If you choose to advance bone in the chin, the surgeon makes an incision under the lower lip inside the mouth using a powered saw with a special blade to separate the edge of the chin bone. The surgeon moves the separated chin-bone tip forward and positions it with wires or special bone plates and screws. Finally, the surgeon stitches the incision closed and applies tape to the chin area.

After Chin Surgery

You may also experience significant swelling or discoloration in the treated area, which will subside over the course of several weeks. The stitches are typically removed within seven days of the procedure.

Follow your doctor's postoperative instruction list to help reduce the risk of complications. There may be some pain, which can be managed with oral medications. The surgeon may have recommendations to reduce swelling, such as elevating your head. Normal activities can be resumed typically within seven days.

Chin Surgery Recovery Process

After surgery, you will have a more balanced profile and pleasing facial contour.

The usual recovery after aesthetic chin surgery depends on the surgical approach utilized and if other procedures are performed at the same time. In general, from a chin augmentation alone, you will be active around the house the evening of surgery, but your lower lip will be “asleep” similar to after a visit to the dentist. This sensation returns overnight, and your chin will feel mildly sore and swollen. Prescriptions for antibiotics and pain medicines may be provided, and you should maintain light activities. You may be given a garment or your chin may be taped to help maintain the chin implant position during the swelling phase after surgery. Keeping your head elevated helps swelling resolve sooner. If your chin augmentation was performed through the mouth, you will be restricted to a liquid or soft diet for a few days until the gums have healed. You will rinse your mouth after eating to keep the sutures clean, and these will dissolve on their own after several weeks. If your cosmetic chin surgery was performed with a small incision under your chin, sutures are normally removed after 4 to 7 days.

Complications and Risks of Chin Surgery

Any plastic surgery procedure poses risks. Complications in the mentoplasty or genioplasty procedures do not occur often. Although rare, some patients may develop an infection in the chin or lip area, usually treated with antibiotics. The surgeon may recommend a waiting period to see if the infection resolves itself with antibiotic treatment. In rare instances an infection requires surgical drainage. Scar tissue formation is also a possibility. Over time, portions of the bone may erode; however, this does not typically cause any medical concerns, discomfort, or changes in the appearance of the chin.

In the genioplasty procedure, wires or plates are removed if they cause discomfort. Patients may experience lack of sensitivity in the chin or lip area; however, the numbness is usually temporary. In rare cases, sensitivity loss may be permanent. It is important to note that complications are infrequent and options are available to treat complications.

FAQ'S

Will chin surgery be painful?

The majority of patients do not consider cosmetic chin surgery to be painful surgery. There is a period of “tightness” associated with the increased volume from the chin implant, which is worse right after surgery due to the body’s normal swelling response. Discomfort responds rapidly to oral pain medications, which are usually only needed for a few days.

Will there be scarring undergoing chin surgery?

If the intra-oral approach for chin augmentation is used, no visible external scars will be present. If your surgeon places the implant through an incision under your chin, a very small scar will be present in a well-concealed region. With usual social encounters, this scar is not visible.

What are some typical short-term side-effects of undergoing chin surgery?

It is normal to have a change in chin sensation after aesthetic chin surgery. Right after surgery, your chin will be “asleep” due to the local anesthetics utilized. After your chin “wakes up”, sensations maybe heightened until sensory nerves near the implant get used to their new, tighter surroundings.

Why type of anesthesia, if any, will be used for chin surgery?

Chin augmentation surgery can be performed under light sedation anesthesia or under general anesthesia. The choice of anesthetic is up to yourself and your surgeon to decide.