Chin/Cheek Implant

Plastic surgeons use facial implants to improve and enhance facial contours. Frequenly, these implants will help provide a more harmonious balance to your face and features so that you feel better about the way you look. There are many implants available, manufactured from a variety of materials. They may help strengthen a jawline or bring the chin or cheekbones into balance with the rest of the face.

Chin surgery, also known as mentoplasty, or genial augmentation, is a surgical procedure to reshape the chin either by enhancement with an implant or reduction surgery on the bone. Many times a plastic surgeon may recommend chin surgery to a patient having nose surgery in order to achieve facial proportion, as the size of the chin may magnify or minimize the perceived size of the nose. Chin surgery helps provide a harmonious balance to your facial features so that you feel better about the way you look.

The more mature patient may choose to have an implant placed in conjunction with another cosmetic procedure. For example, during a facelift, a patient may wish to have implants placed over the cheekbones to help restore a more youthful apperanace. Implants may also be selected to fill out a face that appears "sunken" or tired.

The First Office Visit
Dr. Parson will gather a thorough medical history, with particular emphasis on your underlying medical problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure, history of cigarette smoking, and bleeding tendencies. Following this, a thorough directed physical examination of your facial features is carried out, including cheeks, chin and jawline. The doctor vocalizes what he sees to give you a comprehensive overview of how he perceives your appearance, with an eye to how each component relates to the other, and how certain facial implants may improve facial balance.

Risks of Facial Implants
A facial implant can shift slightly out of alignment and a second operation may be necessary to replace it in its proper position. Infection can occur with any operation. If infection were to occur around a facial implant and did not clear up after treatment with antibiotics, the implant might have to be temporarily removed and replaced at a later time. Other complications that can occur include hematoma (a collection of blood under the skin that must be removed by the surgeon), and injury to nerves that control facial muscles (usually temporary). Some of the implant materials are made of a solid silicone. Currently, there is no scientific evidence that this is a harmful substance.

The Pre-Operative Visit
Approximately 2 weeks prior to surgery, you will meet with Dr. Parson. You will be asked to stop taking medications that can lead to surgical complications, especially bleeding. A list of medications to be discontinued will be reviewed. A general physical examination will be performed to ensure that no underlying medical problems exist that may interfere with the safety of the surgery. Patients with high blood pressure must have their condition well-controlled prior to surgery and should plan to take their blood pressure medication right up to the time of their operation.

Cigarette smoking must be discontinued for one month prior to the operation. Serious wound healing complications can occur in patients who are exposed to smoke, even passively. If the surgery will entail an incision inside your mouth, it is important that you inform Dr. Parson if you smoke or if you have any dental or gum problems.

A prescription for pain medication and antibiotics will be written, so that you have your medication when you return home from the operation.

Pre-operative photographs are taken so that you can see the improvement from your surgery afterwards. You will be asked to sign a surgical consent, which enumerates the risks of the procedure in detail. These risks have been explained here, but are also discussed at the first office visit.

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