The shape and size of our chins has a greater impact on our overall appearance than most of us would think. A chin that doesn’t project far enough will make our faces appear disproportionate and disharmonious as will an overly short or long chin.
Fortunately, these issues can be addressed through chin reshaping (genioplasty). A skilled craniofacial surgeon can use one of two techniques — sliding genioplasty or chin implant placement — to significantly improve their patients’ appearance.
ACHIEVING GREAT RESULTS
Chin augmentation works by correcting disproportionate facial features. Patients who suffer from an unusually small chin (micogenia), excess chin height, a disproportionate lower jaw (mandible) size (retrognathia or prognathia), or jaw or chin asymmetry are all good candidates for the treatment. Depending on the chin abnormalities and particular goals of the patient, Dr. Fialkov will choose whether to use the sliding genioplasty or implant approach for the surgery. Each technique has its own particular indications and advantages, meaning that the procedure of choice has to be tailored to each individual patient.
THE SLIDING GENIOPLASTY APPROACH
Sliding genioplasty is a more versatile technique than the implant approach and is capable of correcting a wide variety of issues. It can be used to treat asymmetrical, overly projected, under projected, and overly lengthy chins. The level of adaptability made possible through genioplasty means that the chin can be treated in three different dimensions. This makes it an ideal approach for patients who present complex chin abnormalities. As such, the satisfaction rate for this procedure is extremely high.
Although very rare, the most common risks inherent to sliding genioplasty include relapse, bleeding, infection and fixation hardware issues. Injury to the mental nerve, which provides sensation to the lip is an exceedingly rare complication. These complications can be avoided when an experienced and skilled surgeon performs the operation. A craniofacial surgeon has subspecialty training in the performance of sliding genioplasty and the pre-operative planning that optimizes the aesthetic outcome of this procedure and minimizes risk.
THE FACIAL IMPLANT TECHNIQUE
The use of alloplastic facial implants for chin augmentation is a simpler procedure than sliding genioplasty, but less versatile. Although the rate of complications in implant chin augmentation surgery is lower than sliding genioplasty, it still exists. The implant approach isn’t as versatile as the genioplasty technique, however, and is usually only suitable for patients with an under projected or receding chin.
Implant chin augmentation carries with it a low risk of bleeding, infection, soft tissue irregularities and deformity, a retracted lower lip, and issues related to the implant itself. Dr. Fialkov uses Porex chin implants which are fixed to the underlying chin bone. This lessens the complications more commonly seen with silicone implants, such as migration, malposition, bone resorption, infection and capsular contracture. Surgical experience and meticulous pre-operative planning to ensure the correct size and placement of the implant results in a very high satisfaction rate for this procedure in patients that are appropriate candidates.
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