Am I Supposed To Feel My Chin Implant?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a large chin implant placed three months ago.  It looks OK but it has pulled my lower lip in to my mouth and I have no projection of my lower lip.  The implant was not screwed in and is rising up and the bottom of the implant is not parallel with the bottom of the chin. When I have my mouth closed and lift my lower lip up higher into my upper lip it feels like muscle is wrapping around the implant and causing a very tight feeling.  Will I aways be able to feel the implant?  If so that is ok. but I would like for someone to at least be honest with me.  If you do not know, that is ok.  Just say so.  I have only been able to talk to people that have had it as long as me or people who have removed the implant because they still felt it.  Would sliding genioplasy solve that?

A: When I hear chin implant experiences like yours, it usually indicates that an intraoral placement route was done and either the implant was initially placed low enough but has slide upward (silicone) or was never quite placed low enough. (Medpor) Everything you are describing indicates that the implant is riding up too high in the chin. In conjunction with an intraoral route of placement (if that was done), the mentalis muscle may be partially disinserted or scarred down creating an inversion of the lower lip. With good implant placement and size selection, all edges of the implant should blend fairly smoothly into the surrounding bone. Until I have some more information about your chin implant surgery (route of insertion, size and type of implant) I can not yet answer the question as to whether improvement will come from implant repositioning/muscle repair or removal and replacement with a sliding genioplasty.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana