Mental Nerve Numbness after Chin Implant and Facelift

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am three weeks out from facelift, necklift and chin implant by a very experienced plastic urgeon. My chin and lower lip continue to be totally numb. In the first week, my surgeon touched the sides of the implant and I did feel the shock pains, but the area is no longer as sensitive, just numb. Should I seek the 3D CT scan you mention? Do you have much experience removing chin implants? Thank you. 

A: Having bilateral lower lip/chin numbness is unusual from a chin implant particularly those used in facelifts which are often more modest in size. The key about whether you should evaluate the position of the wings of your chin implant this early after surgery depends on the progression of your nerve symptoms. If you remain totally numb with no improvement then I absolutely would check a scan to be certain that the wings of the implant are not up against the mental nerve. But if the numbness is improving and the pain is less then I would give it a few more weeks time healing and see how it feels then before considering such further evalutaions..

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana