Can I Have A Chin Implant Instead Of A Sliding Genioplasty?

Q: Dr. Eppley,You are a tremendously talented surgeon and I see you specialize in chin surgery. I emailed you close to four years ago, asking your opinion on a chin implant. And you recommended a sliding genioplasty. Here’s what you said:

“…You have a fairly short chin that is angulated backwards and is vertically long. With such anatomy you are not really a good candidate for a chin implant as implants are technically designed to sit on the front of the bone which will make your chin longer. The implant can be moved up higher, but this is not how they are ideally designed to work. You are a far better candidate for a sliding genioplasty which can bring your chin forward AND make it shorter. This may not be the operation you want but it is the better chin augmentation option from a dimensional standpoint than an implant with your anatomy.“

I’m still interested in surgery, however, I am not able to afford the genioplasty surgery or the recovery time as a mother. I am 43. During our correspondence, you mentioned that you could do an implant and fasten it to the front of my chin, to avoid lengthening the face (though it wouldn’t be fully ideal). I am wondering if you would be open to that as a different option? I am looking for very conservative results – natural, feminine, so you can’t even tell it’s done… and so the pre-jowl sulcus is gently filled in. Many thanks for your consideration. The way you help people is just amazing.

A: Good to hear from you again. The key to a chin implant in the severely horizontally short chin that has a backward slope is not to try to make it ideally normal in projection as this will also make it vertically longer. Choosing a conservative projection (5mms) will mitigate that risk as the implant will need to sit not right at the bottom of the chin bone but a bit further up. Be aware that any chin implant with wings (for the prejowl area) will from the front view make the chin a bit wider.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon