Chin Implant Replacement

Q: Dr. Eppley, I’m about to order chin implant for my surgery of chin augmentation from your representative in Tehran. But my query is I have already chin implant on my chin. I had it done 15 years ago and it is in a very good condition I had no any complications. But this implant did augment my chin vertically but what I’m looking for now is I need my chin to be more forward projected I feel it is flat, do you recommend that I leave my old chin implant as it is and I put on the middle of my chin an implant from your Catalogue which is Curvilinear silicone chin implant. So I will be having two implants on my chin. Or shall I remove my old chin implant and please another one which will augment my chin vertically plus giving it a forward projection. For the same inquiry, I’m looking as well for a chin implant that has a dimple on it at the lower middle. I would be grateful if you could answer my inquiry as soon as possible.

A: Please be aware that I do not work for or am employed by any facial implant company. I am just a plastic surgeon that happens to have a large facial plastic surgery practice in which we have a lot of experience in all types of facial implants.

That being said, for you chin implant replacement it is almost never a good idea to stack chin implants. It can be done, and I have done it, but it requires multiple screw placements for stability. It is always better to have one single implant that can meet all of your chin dimensional needs. Whether this would be done using a standard vertically lengthening style chin (which also adds horizontal projection as well) or whether this will require a custom chin implant I can not say just based on a description. An externally visible chin dimple does not come from it being placed as part of the implant design. That will never work. A chin dimple has to be created through soft tissue manipulation which can be done at the same time as the placement of a new chin implant. Dr. Barry Eppley Indianapolis, Indiana