Sliding Genioplasty

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a sliding genioplasty done about 2 weeks back to correct a receding chin. My face is always slightly chubby so I never though that a thin face would be a problem for me. Now that most of the swelling is down and I can feel the bone underneath my chin I know that this is what is going to be the height of my face. Although I will wait the entire month mark to make up my mind about a revision, my question is, if I do go through a partial revision and restore the height back to its original while keeping the advancement will my face still be thin? What causes the thin face? Is it the advancement or the heightening? Or is it better to just restore everything to original? And if I do will I ever go back to looking like I did?

A: Any change in facial fullness after a sliding genioplasty is a function of both horizontal advancement and vertical lengthening. The face above the chin did not really get any thinner but it looks that way as the front part of the lower face is pulled down and out.Without knowing what exact dimensional changes were done with your siding genioplasty I can not say what would happen with a partial or complete reversal of the chin bone position.

What I do know is that at just two weeks from surgery, all of your chin swelling is not gone and you have yet to truly see the final result or have accommodated to this facial structural change.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana