Chin Implant Revision

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in a chin implant revision. Attached please find two pictures – one is very old and is before the chin implant but shows my chin and smile. The other was taken about two years ago. The chin implant looks rounded and it looks even wider and rounded the more I smile. My teeth are not very visible also and the implant makes that even more apparent. I was wondering if you trim down or re-shape implants or remove them. The implant was inserted fourteen years ago from under my chin. It was a rounded, Gore-tex chin implant. I was very determined to have the procedure done at the time – but did not realize the way it would look when I smiled. Thanks very much for reviewing.

A: Thank you for sending your pictures. I would agree with your assessment that some reduction of the chin implant would be a good chin implant revision approach. The chin implant is undoubtably having some aesthetic benefit and you would hate to forego all of it. The traditional Gore-tex chin implant is a very round one and the material is easy to modify. Through your existing submental incision the implant could be removed, reduced in size and shape and reimplanted. This should have a fairly minimal recovery/swelling since you have a existing implant pocket. At the least it should be a better recovery than the initial implantation.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana