What is chin reduction surgery?
How much does chin reduction surgery cost?
What to expect from chin reduction surgery?
Chin reduction surgery, or genioplasty, is a surgical procedure most commonly used for cosmetic purposes. It is performed by either a plastic surgeon or a maxillofacial surgeon, who focuses on the area of the mouth and jaw. People who have chin reduction surgery often pursue it as a treatment to improve the look of their chin. The procedure can be performed one of several ways, depending on the current structure of the chin and the desired result. The different types of procedures are advancement where the chin is pulled forward, pushback where the chin gets pushed back towards the face, side-to-side which is used to help fix asymmetrical chins and vertical alterations which involve making the chin either longer or shorter. These procedures fall under two main types of chin reduction surgery – chin implants or sliding genioplasty. Chin implants are exactly what they sound like – implanting or injecting materials into the chin to reshape, enlarge or extend the chin’s appearance. This can be performed surgically through the implantation of a synthetic or plastic material inside the chin that is adhered to the bone. Alternatively, a nonsurgical solution is to have fillers such as body fat injected into the chin using needles.
Chin reduction surgery is most often performed for cosmetic reasons; therefore, it is not covered by insurance and patients will need to be prepared to pay for the procedure out of pocket. The cost will also vary from one patient to the next depending on many factors.
It is best to thoroughly talk to Dr. Jane Weston, MD, FACS, who will be performing the surgery ahead of time to get a full understanding of what to expect both during and after your surgery, what your recovery time is going to be, any limitations you will face post-surgery, and how much your surgery is expected to cost.
Depending on the type of procedure you go with, your chin reduction surgery experience will vary. Patients who choose to go with a surgical implant or sliding genioplasty will have their procedure performed either in a hospital or an office operating room. These are both surgical procedures that involve cutting open the skin, typically from inside the mouth so as not to cause external scars, and stitching it back up following the procedure. The procedure itself can take a few hours, however your surgeon will be able to give you a more accurate time estimate prior to your procedure based on the extent of the work you are having done. Your aftercare routine will involve a soft food or liquid diet while your mouth and chin heal, ensuring you thoroughly rinse with an antiseptic rinse following each meal. Recovery time is about the same for both procedures, with the compression tape and wound dressings being removed 3-5 days after your surgery. At that point you can return to most of your daily activities, with the exception of holding off on exercise for at least 10 days and no contact sports for six to eight weeks post-surgery. Injectable fillers on the other hand have no downtime and no recovery time as they are non-surgical and can be performed in a qualified doctors office. Dr. Jane Weston, who is an international leader in plastic surgery, specializes in cosmetic surgery of the body, face, and breast. Dr. Weston is here to answer any questions you may have about chin reduction surgery, and she can also highlight the procedure and its benefits.
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