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Procedures
Cosmetic or Plastic Surgery
Chin
implants for weak chin or receding chin
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What
is it?
The chin augmentation surgery aims to bring your features into better, more
attractive balance. It increases the size of the chin either through the use of
an implant, or by removing a section of bone, moving it forward and fixing it
into position.
Chin augmentation procedure offers benefit to persons who have a recessed
chin and who may also have a prominent nose. Cosmetic chin surgery adds
definition to the jaw and balances the appearance of a large nose.
Candidates
for chin surgery should be in good health and have reasonable expectations about
the result of the surgery.
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Your surgeon may choose to perform the procedure in conjunction with a face
lift or nose reshaping. He will decide whether chin augmentation is appropriate
if your dental occlusion is correct. If it is not, orthognatic surgery supported
by orthodontic preparation may be needed. This process can take as much as two
years.
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The surgery
Insertion of a chin implant may take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. During the procedure, the surgeon selects the proper size and shape implant to enhance your appearance and inserts it into a pocket over the front of the jawbone.
The small incision to create the pocket where the implant is inserted can be placed inside the mouth (along the lower lip)
or in the skin just under the chin area.
Usually performed under local anaesthesia or local and IV sedation, chin augmentation surgery is typically performed as a day case. If the surgery is done at the same time as a face lift or neck lift, the incision will most likely be placed under the chin and also used as access for the neck rejuvenation.
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To prepare the place for the implant, your surgeon will first detach the chin tissues from the bone. He will then place the implant, adjust it as needed and fix it to the bone with two titanium screws. Finally, he will reattach the chin tissues over the implant and will close your wounds with absorbable stitches.
If the bones need to be reshaped, your surgeon will remove a
horizontal wedge of bone from the lower part of the chin, move it forward and fix it into its new position. Alternatively, he may remove a wedge of bone just over the chin point.
Thus he will reposition the chin slightly back and higher up to produce a chin in better harmony with your other features.
After surgery, usually the chin is taped to minimize swelling and discomfort.
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Complications are rare
With chin augmentation, there is a risk of infection caused by a breakdown of incisions within your mouth. If this happens, your surgeon will advise you to remove the implant in order to control the infection. The procedure can be repeated three to four months later.
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In very seldom cases, the nerves that give feeling to the lower lip may be damaged during surgery, usually leading to temporarily numbness in the lower lip.
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