Can the Dent Below My Lip After A Sliding Genioplasty Be Fixed?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a sliding genioplasty a few months and this dent has appeared between my lip and chin that was not there before the surgery. Why has this dent occured and can it be fixed. While I like my new chin position, I do not like this dent and want it fixed if possible.

A: A sliding genioplasty moves the chin bone forward but does not change what lies above it. That dent is the labiomental fold/sulcus which is the fixed attachment of the superior mentalis muscle to the bone. It may have become more prominent after surgery due to the chin advancement and/or scar tissue or a tightly restored mental is muscle attachment. I have seen this numerous times after chin advancement procedures particularly sliding genioplasties. It can be improved/fixed by either an intraoral release alone or combined with a dermal-fat graft after the release to prevent it from becoming re-attached.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana