How Much Can A Sliding Genioplasty Be Moved?

Q: Dr. Eppley, My face needs a vertical augmentation about 8mm and a horizontal one about 5mm or so. Yesterday I met a doctor in our area, he told me that with an Osteotomy surgery he can give it a nearly 2 to 3mm of vertical projection and about 3 to 4mm of horizontal projection, and above that level is impossible. He described that they cut a piece of my chin from its below, with a triangle section (kinda similar to a wedge I guess) and slide it forward and downward. I wanted to get your advice about how the surgery could be more efficient for me and how I can reach my desirable face.

A: You are referring to a sliding genioplasty procedure. The dimensional movements to which you have been told are far below what is possible. While I don’t know what your chin looks like, I would see no reason why you couldn’t have an 8mm vertical elongation and a 5 to 6mms horizontal advancement. Such movements are possible because of the use of specially designed chin plates that can be adjusted for a wide variety of chin movements to hold the bone in the desired position. I have no idea why you have been given those small chin movements as being what is possible. But to say that 8mm of length and 5 to 6mms of horizontal increase are impossible is not accurate.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana