In Getting A New Chin Implant Does The Old One Need To Be Removed?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I want to get a new chin augmentation procedure. I had one done over 20 years ago but I always thought it wasn’t enough. It was done from an incision inside my mouth. In getting a new and larger implant, would the old chin implant have to be removed?

A: Whether your existing chin implant would be removed or not during the placement of a new one is an intraoperative decision. In theory, one would assume that the old one would have to go to make way for the new one. But this is not always true. Given that your original chin implant was placed over 20 years ago and was placed from an intraoral approach, it is likely that it is very small and positioned high on the bone. If it is not in the way, I will often leave the old one and placed a new one right on top or below it taking advantage of whatever augmentative effect it already provides. If it is positioned low I may either remove it, or if it has settled into the bone, I may just shave off the prominent part of the old chin implant to make a smooth platform for the new one to rest on.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana