Sliding Genioplasty

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had sliding genioplasty surgery couple of days ago and moved forward 8-9mm.I hate my bottom lip got 1/4 size of my original one! It’s a heart attack and I loved my lips! Did you see any improvement in lip’s size after a while? Should I reverse the surgery?Attached are some picture of before and after 4days surgery. I really liked my bottom lip and I feel the suture are tok high that locked my lower lip and I doubt if it loose even after it heals. The reason might be because of the 8-9mm projection on my chin or the surgent personal desire to balance my lower lip without letting me know in advance. As I know he moved my chin 8mm out and little down. Now I can’t accept new round face and nice bottom lips are gone! What I wanted to have was a little projection!  What do you recommend? I am thinking to revise partially before my bone get heal! Although I am worry because it might not give my pervious face and lips back! So appreciated for the help.

A: Thank you for sending your before and after sliding genioplasty pictures. I think it is extremely important to realize that you are just 4 days after surgery and the chin always gets tremendous swelling…which is why your face seems round right now. That will change over the next three weeks as some of the swelling subsides. I see no evidence that your chin is ‘overdone’ or been advanced too far. I think from an augmentation standpoint that you should wait much longer as it takes a good 6 weeks to really appreciate the final result. As for the your lower lip, it is very common that it feels very tight. This will always loosen up much more than it is now.

I think right now you are going through ‘buyer’s regret’ which is not uncommon with all the swelling and tightness and the uncertainty of what will be the final outcome. It is not rare that one yearns for what they look like previously when going through the early recovery period after many forms of facial structural surgery such as a sliding genioplasty.

I would urge you at this point to have more patience and give it two to three more weeks to see how you feel then. The osteotomy can be easily partially or fully reversed even months after the initial surgery date.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana