Reverse Sliding Genioplasty

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in a reverse sliding genioplasty. I had double jaw surgery last year which moved my lower jaw forward for 8mm. Then I had a sliding genioplasty to move my chin forward for 4mm downward for 2mm six months later. Now I feel my chin is too pointy and not natural. I want my chin to go back when it was after the jaw surgery. I really regret the genioplasty. I have high cheek bones. So the genioplasty creates hollows on my cheeks. This makes me look old. My face looks so thin and long. Also, the lower lip looks rolled in like an old person. Do you think it’s possible to move the chin back to where it was? If so, how would the muscle and lip respond to the change? Will the reversal cause sagging and jowling issue? The most important, will the hollow on my face get recovered? I’m 33 years old now but my skin is good and I’m very healthy.

A: While you can certainly have a reverse sliding genioplasty, it is important to know that not everything is going to go back exactly the way it was before the chin surgery. While moving the bone back is a very predictable maneuver, what the soft tissues will do is not as predictable. With such a small genioplasty movement, it is likely that most of the soft tissues will recover. But the one way to really know is to do it and see what happens.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana