AUGMENTATION GENIOPLASTY
Augmentation genioplasty is the medical term for chin implant surgery. In this procedure, a chin implant is added onto the chin to give it more length and forward projection. This is turn adds overall length to the face, and can produce a significant slimming effect on the face: the cheeks look less plump and chubby, and the face looks longer and is more oval in shape.
The facial profile also improves and becomes more proportionate and attractive. Patients who would benefit from a chin implant often do not realize it, thinking that their cheeks are too chubby and that they need liposuction of their cheeks. However, once it has been determined that the main cause of their appearance is a small chin, a suitable chin implant correctly positioned will dramatically improve their facial proportions, facial shape, and most importantly, produce that slimming effect on the face that the patient was seeking.
There are many implant designs and sizes, and Dr Huang will choose the design and size of the implant carefully in order to optimize results while maintaining a natural appearance, such that others will not suspect that the patient has undergone chin implant surgery but will instead notice that their face looks slimmer.
This procedure usually takes one hour under local anesthesia or intravenous sedation and is performed as a day surgery procedure. An intraoral incision is made on the inside of the lower lip, thus leaving no external scars. The soft tissues over the chin area are dissected off the bone to create a pocket of space just big enough to accommodate a solid silicone chin implant which is placed directly on bone. Sensory nerves in the vicinity are identified and protected. The soft tissues are repaired snugly over the implant and the wound is closed with dissolving sutures. Tapes are applied over the chin to stabilize the implant.
Postoperative pain is minimal and is well controlled by oral pain medication. Mild swelling is the norm, but bruising is uncommon. Because of the intraoral wound, a liquid diet is necessary for the first two days to protect the wound. Soft food can be taken after two days, and a normal diet resumed after one week. The tapes are removed after one week. Downtime is about ten days, by which time enough swelling has subsided for the chin to look presentable.
The chin and lower lip may have some numbness for the first few days to weeks. It may also feel a bit stiff for a few weeks, but gradually returns to normal as the swelling subsides and the tissues regain their elasticity over the first one to two months. Eventually, the chin will feel completely normal without any awareness of the presence of the implant.
Overall, this is a safe operation with a low complication rate. Bleeding is minimal and the risk of infection is low. The risk of implant malposition is also low.