Can I Have My Chin Implant Revision Done Under Local Anesthesia?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am seeking a chin implant revision. I had a Medpor round chin implant six months ago. I’m not satisfied with the thick sides with visible edges at the end and round shape. I want a square front but with shorter thinner more blended wings. About 1 months ago, I went back to the same doctor for a minor revision. Since he doesn’t do square implant he decided to shave down the sides to fix the problem. Result is very bad as he shaved down the front part of the sides but didn’t go back to the end edges. Now I have a very narrow pointy front ( worse than before revision the round front) and still with thick wings and visible ends. But the good news is that he told me the implant did not grow into the tissue yet and is very easy to remove at this time. So I’m now seeking a revision to remove my current implant with a wide square looking one but with short thin blended wings. I really don’t want to go under general if it’s possible since my Medpor chin implant is not that attached.

A: When it comes to a chin implant revision, it rarely works well when chin implants are trimmed in place. To really properly trim them, they need to be removed and modified outside of the patient and then put back in. However with the trimming now done to your existing chin implant, a new one is really needed now to achieve your goals. Having removed many Medpor facial implants, I do not believe that ‘the implant is not attached’ or that it does not have good tissue adherence. If that were really true then your surgeon should just have removed the implant to modify it if it was that simple. There is no doubt it can be removed but it will have considerable tissue adherence and is not a procedure that I would do under local anesthesi.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana