Can My Chin Implant be Replaced In Two Stages Or Can All Be Done At The Same Time?:

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a chin implant placed over ten years ago. nI recall the surgeon used a McGann anatomical chin implant. Immediately once the compression bandage was removed and some initial swelling had resolved I could feel the left wing had been positioned or settled lower than the right. It’s not significant (perhaps 5mm or so) and would really only be perceptible to me or a facial plastic surgeon. However I am considering replacing it with a custom implant. I do recall when I went back to the surgeon post operatively, he commented on the imaging stating that there was some bone ‘erosion’ and he was concerned how superficial the pocket was on the left. 

For revision surgery such as mine, would the current implant be removed and the tissue be allowed to settle for say a month before replacing it (particularly given that superficial left pocket) or can it be done in one surgery? Thank you kindly.

 A:Thank you for your inquiry and detailing your surgical chin history. Most chin implants have some degree of asymmetry or tilt due to the nature have How they are placed. Only very rarely are they perfectly positions due to the limited incisional access by which they are introduced in position. Also, most chair implants will have some degree of bone imprinting often erroneously referred to as erosion. I’m not certain what the term superficial placement means but I suspect it refers to some floating of the implant off of the bone of which I’m not sure, short of having a 3-D CT scan, how that assessment was made.

All of these issues aside they are common and is what I see and almost every Chin implant but I remove and replace. Such removal and replacements are done as a single surgery. There is no benefit or biologic bases for staging such replacement procedures.

When it comes to a custom chin implant replacement a 3-D CT scan is required of which details of your exact chin placement and its effect on the bone Will be evident and will validate your perception of its current placement.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon