How Long For The Swelling To Go Down After A Sliding Genioplasty?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am very pleased with the morph you created for the augmentation of the chin only. (no jawline augmentation).

I’m leaning towards sliding genioplasty combined with submentoplasty, but I have a few questions:

1)  In our consultation, you mentioned that this procedure would narrow the chin. Would the amount of narrowing have an obvious negative impact on facial harmony and is there anything that can be done to lessen the perception of this narrowing?

2) I have heard that significant horizontal advancement can lead to a step in the mandible. Would this be noticeable in my case?

3) How long would it take for the swelling to be reduced to a degree where I no longer appear “post-surgical” to people I know?

Thanks,

A: In answer to your sliding genioplasty questions:

1) The narrowing effect would be slight but it is relevant to be aware of that potential change.

2) The step to which you refer is at the back end of the osteotomy, whose magnitude depends on the angle of the bone cut and whether there is any significant vertical lengthening as well. One of the reasons corticocancellous bone chips are used in my sliding genioplasties is to fill in unnatural contours that the sliding genioplasty can create in some cases.

3) Most ‘social’ recoveries from sliding genioplasties take about 3 weeks until one feels more comfortable with their early surgical appearance.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana