Chin Implant Surgery
The Chin Augmentation Procedure
What to expect during your chin implant surgery
Most chin augmentation procedures are performed on an outpatient basis. The surgery can be performed in a dedicated surgery center, a hospital, or in a surgery suite at your plastic surgeon's office.
The chin implant procedure can be performed while the patient is under general anesthesia or local anesthesia. Your plastic surgeon will determine which is the best option in your particular case.
Chin implant surgery alone usually takes 30-45 minutes. If you are having other procedures done at the same time, the duration of the surgery may be longer.
Your surgeon will begin by making a small incision either in the natural crease line just under the chin or inside the mouth where gum and lower lip meet. With solid silicone implants, the submental (under the chin) incision is utilized. However, if you use other rigid biocompatible materials such as MEDPOR (an implant made with porous high-density polyethylene or PHDPE), your surgeon will make the incision inside your mouth. Your surgeon will then stretch the tissue to create a pocket over the front of your jawbone. The chin implant specially selected to be the correct size and shape to give you your desired results, will be inserted into the pocket, and, depending on the implant type, affixed either to the soft tissue or to the bone.
The surgeon will then close the incisions and tape the chin to provide support and to minimize swelling and discomfort. If the implant was inserted through your mouth, dissolving stitches inside the mouth will be used. They will dissolve in about 10 days. If the incision was made in your chin, fine sutures will be used. Those will be removed during a follow-up visit to your plastic surgeon's office, about a week after your chin surgery.
After surgery, you will be taken to a recovery room and monitored until you are discharged to go home. You will need a ride home, and you may want to arrange to have someone look after you for a day or two after your surgery.
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