How Is A Custom Jawline Implant Done?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have some questions about a custom jawline implant.

1) Does having a custom jawline implant that increases chin dimensions of 15 mm or so place undue stress on the bone? Presumably not, otherwise this wouldn’t be discussed as an option. 

2) You had mentioned off the shelf mandibular angle implants are two wide in many cases. Would that hold true in my case?

3) Since my previous implant created a pocket, will this be favorable to swelling in that area?

4) What type of lead time do you need when designing this implant prior to surgery? I don’t think I’m as concerned about quantifying millimeters as other patients may as I am with having some broad criteria of the implant not looking overly large and unnatural. 

5) You had mentioned getting Voluma prior to surgery would not affect things.  There’s a surgeon locally adding this to his practice and providing this for free if I want to slightly accentuate the jaw angles.  I don’t know if this issue still holds true with this custom implant option.  I would assume in the worst case scenario this product could be dissolved, however, I don’t want to risk affecting this process in the future or perhaps even the 3D scan somehow.

Custom Jawline Implant design Dr Barry Eppley IndianapolisA: In answer to your custom jawline implant questions:

  1. A larger implant, like the custom jawline implant, distributes its forces (stress) on the bone over a very wide surface area. Thus one does not see the traditional implant settling phenomenon that can occur from an isolated chin implant.
  2. Most patients, men or women, need a vertical lengthening component to their jaw angles not just width. Most current styles of jaw angle implants only add width and very little if any length to the jaw angles.
  3. Having an indwelling implant with an existing pocket will tend to create less swelling in that area with a new implant than during the initial implant placement surgery.
  4. From obtaining the 3D CT scan to having the sterile implant in hand ready for surgery is a three week process.
  5. Getting a synthetic injectable filler, like Voluma, will not interfere with the images obtained in a 3D CT scan. It will also not interfere with placing any jawline implant.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana