A chin implant is intended to give the patient an improved profile, as well as a more attractive jaw line that creates a better balance between the chin and other facial features.
The procedure is done on an outpatient basis under sedation and local or general anesthesia. An incision is made inside the lower lip or under the chin, and an implant is placed. In an alternative method called sliding osteotomy, a portion of the chin bone is permanently moved forward.
The patient goes home with a small pressure dressing over the chin. Initial discomfort is easily controlled with oral medication. Swelling, tenderness, and possible local numbness gradually subside within a month or two.
Additional procedures that would enhance the result are: Liposuction of the neck, nose reshaping (Rhinoplasty), Neck Lift, or Laser Skin Resurfacing.
is considered cosmetic and therefore is not covered by insurance. The patient is responsible for payment.
The specific risks and the suitability of a chin enhancement procedure for a given individual can be determined only at the time of consultation. All surgical procedures have some degree of risk. Minor complications that do not affect the outcome occur occasionally. Major complications are unusual. Talk to your about cheek implants.
Next to orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery as a medical specialty uses a significant number of implants and implant materials to help achieve its surgical outcomes. Whether it is breast implants or an injectable filler, the use of synthetic or foreign materials is common in plastic surgery. Often when a plastic surgery patient needs an implant for their procedure, they will ask the question....'What if my body rejects the implant?'. This understandable concern is indicative of a basic misunderstanding of how the body reacts to implanted foreign materials and what type of complications can develop.
In reality, the rejection of an implanted synthetic material (that has been evaluated and approved for human implantation by the FDA), in the most scientific sense, does not happen. A true rejection reaction in humans is an autoimmune response to an 'implant' that is composed of live or organic material. Therefore, you will develop a rejection or autoimmune reaction, for example, in any type of organ transplant which is from other human or animal origins. Your body's cells mount a massive response to what it recognizes as foreign or an invading organic source. The body is quite smart and protective as this type of response is necessary for survival.
Inorganic materials, such as synthetic implants, do not elicit a true autoimmune or rejection response. These are not live materials and were never composed of living organic materials. Therefore, an allergic response does not happen. They will never integrate or become part of your body's tissues, but they can be tolerated by occupying a walled-off space. Synthetic implants, while not causing allergic responses, can cause a different set of problems which patients mistakenly interpret as 'rejection'. The most common synthetic implant problems, such as infection, exposure, or migration, are not due to a rejection phenomenon. Implant infections occur because bacteria inadvertently got on its surface at the time of surgery.Most implant infections occur within weeks of the surgery as it takes time for the bacteria to multiply and become evident. Synthetic implants can migrate or move from their location where they were surgically placed if the implant material is very smooth or the tissue pocket into which it is placed is very big. This potential migration can be eliminated if the implant is secured into its desired location by some method such as sutures or metal screws. Implant exposure can result from migration of the implant, getting close to the original incision through which it is placed. Or implant exposure can result from not having enough good tissue closed over it or tissue that breaks down over the implant due to too much pressure that the implant exerted on it or the overlying tissue is of poor quality and it doesn't heal well and then breaks down, thus exposing the implant.
The patient will understandably interpret these synthetic implant complications as 'rejecting the implant'. In reality, the patient's body has little to do with the development of these complications. They are more a function of surgical technique and not due to a patient's immune response to them. The risk of these potential implant complications can be reduced by pre-surgery antibiotics, a properly sized implant that does not stress the surrounding tissues, and careful surgical implantation technique.
Both Dave Stringham & Dr Barry Eppley are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.