Sliding Genioplasty and Age

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a few quick questions concerning chin surgery, or more specifically sliding genioplasty.

1) Is 18 years old to young to consider such a procedure? (my pediatrician expects me to continue growing until 22)

2) I had read that some surgeons remove the hardware once the two bones fuse together usually around 9-12 months post-op. What’s your take on this?

3) I was hoping to stay away from implants due to possible bone erosion. Do you perform procedures where you cut the lower chin into two or three parts, in order to widen the chin? (I believe some people call it an Expanding Genioplasty)

4) Chin surgery usually gets lumped with chin implants on Real Self showing an average price of around $5,000. Without diving to much into financing, would it make sense to expect an average price of $10-12k for a Sliding Genioplasty, and perhaps even more for one that attempts to widen the chin?

The goal would be to masculinize the chin by advancing it in all 3 directions. Sorry for all the questions and thank you for your advice!

A: In answer to your sliding genioplasty questions:

18 years of age is not too young for a sliding genioplasty chin augmentation procedure.
There is no reason to remove the hardware later, I have never done it.
While your concept of chin implant and ‘bone erosion’ is erroneous, you are referring to a widening bony geniplasty with a midline split of the down fractured segment and the placement of an interpoitional graft. Like a narrowing any genioplasty where a central segment of bone is removed, the central slit can be grafted to widen the chin as well.
I will have my assistant pass along the actual cost of the surgery to you next week.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapols, Indiana