Will A Chin Ptosis Repair Make it More Difficult To Move My Lower Lip After Surgery?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a sliding genioplasty two years ago and have suffered with iatrogenic chin ptosis since. I have read in your writings that there is the possibility to resuspend the mentalis muscle using bone anchors to a higher level. Also you have recommended a VY lengthening of the mucosa of the lower lip at the same time.What is very hard to find out is how the patients feel after this surgery concerning to the ability to move the lip sidewards and forward and the movement to evert the inferior lip. Is this type of lip movement uncomfortable afterwards? How is the patients’ sensation moving their lips after a mentalis resuspension?  Does it continue to be uncomfortable because of the devascularing nature of the intraoral incision or the mentalis muscle turning it out into an atrophic scar?  My concern is that my most important issue that I would really like to repair is functional and I would really like to correct the discomfort I have. Would really appreciate if could please write a few lines about how patients feel moving their lips after this procedure.

A: Chin ptosis after a chin osteotomy is very unusual as the bony movement forward (typical direction) picks up any loose tissue. But it is possible if the chin osteotomy is used to vertically shorten the chin and move it backwards (not a good idea), if the surgeon does not tighten the now excess soft tissues. In my experience with chin ptosis repair, complaints about difficulty with moving the lips or loss of feeling have not been voiced. This does not mean that they may not exist, but that they were not considered significant. I suspect I have have not heard of them because they do not turn out to be problems after surgery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana