Should I Get A Chin Implant Or A Sliding Genioplasty?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Could you clarify a few more things for me? I may look to move forward with a consultation soon.

1) is 8-10mm on the large side for an implant? I’ve heard over 7mm can look unnatural and this is my biggest concern. 

2) I notice the implant is significantly more affordable. Is there a reason the more expensive sliding genio should be considered in my case? Is it more reliable or natural looking?

3) are the chances of complications/shifting more with the implant? If the results are really almost identical, the implant sounds more appealing to me, but I have heard some people express regret in choosing an implant over the genioplasty.

4) can the implant fix the asymmetry?

A: In answer to your questions:

1) The amount of horizontal chin augmentation is based on what the patient needs/desires, there is no absolute right or wrong number. It is only too big or too small if it doesn’t come close to the imaging projections that the patient desires.

2) Patient choose sllding geniopalsty in general because they either absolutely don’t want an implant in the body or that the sliding genioplasty can make a dimensional change a chin implant can’t. (e.g., vertical shortening or significant vertical lengthening)

3) Regret in choosing between a chin implant or a sliding genioplasty comes from either some failure of the implant to achieve their aesthetic goal,  a complication failure to be fully informed of the differences between the two operations. (e.g., infection, asymmetry) There is always going to be some regret when one type of operation doesn’t work well and one has to replace it with a different type of operation. That doesn’t necessarily mean the operation is bad. The avoidance of regret comes from full knowledge of the pluses and minuses of all available operations, Then no matter what happens, good or bad, one is fully aware of the potential adverse outcomes.

4) Only a custom chin implant made from the patient’s 3D CT scan reliably address the bony asymmetry. Assume, until the outcome may demonstrate otherwise, that such asymmetry will persist with either the use of standard chin implants or a sliding genioplasty.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana