Chin Lengthening

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am writing to enquire about chin lengthening surgery. I have a fairly round face which to me lacks length , I am hoping to achieve a more heart shaped appearance , I do not have a recessive chin although it is quite “round”. I’m not sure if that is the best way to describe it but I have attached pictures so you can get an idea of what I mean. Please would you be able to tell me if you feel I’m a candidate for this type of chin surgery.

A: What I see is that your chin is vertically short which makes your face overall more round in shape. A vertical chin lengthening procedure through an intraoral opening osteotomy will provide facial elongation and go a long way towards making your face more heart-shaped. In vertical chin lengthening the chin bone is cut and dropped down in a cantilever fashion so as to keep bone contact at the back end of the bony cuts. The vertical opening distance is maintained through the placement of a small spanning titanium plate. An interpositional cadaveric bone graft is used in the central part of the wedge for both stability and to expedite eventual bone healing into and through the gap.

Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana