Can A Rhinoplasty Be Done At The Same Time As Vertical Chin Reduction?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have a very long chin and I know you said that the correct treatment for it was a vertical chin reduction done from inside the mouth.The computer imaging you sent looked like a good improvement. But I wanted to know one more thing. If you could make the chin this it would be perfect. My other question is can I also get a rhinoplasty to go with it. On the side it just all sort of needs to come down a little and be straightened. I have a lot of cartilage around the sides. When I smile there’s a pretty good bump. Thats all for now thanks alot.

A: In answer to your vertical chin reduction and rhinoplasty questions. 1) If I understand the purpose of the two pictures properly, I believe you would like to achieve that degree of vertical chin shortening in the frontal view. While that is an admirable goal, the limitation in vertical chin reduction is how much bone can be removed given where the tooth roots and the mental nerve exist are located. As a general rule 8 to 10mms of bone be removed which I suspect will not exactly achieve your ideal vertical chin shortening goal.

2) It is common to perform rhinoplasty with any other facial procedures particularly that of chin surgery. What you are fundamentally describing is the straightening of the dorsal lines of the nose as the fundamental goal of your nose reshaping objectives. This is a common and achievable goal for many rhinoplasty patients.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana