Minneapolis Chin Surgery doctors

Frankly, it seems as if you and your surgeon are having either a communication problem (proper information not being shared in an understandable way--both expectations and goals as well as potential risks and limitations), or a listening problem (could be one of you, or both of you)!

Now, two operations later, you are still unhappy, and your surgeon is giving you advice you are questioning here on-line, where no one has had the benefit of either physical examination or hands-on experience with your exact anatomy in the operating room. What a fine kettle of fish we (you) have here!

You need to make sure you know what it is exactly you want to achieve, communicate that to your surgeon, and then you need to listen to your surgeon as he explains what can and cannot be done and how best to come as close as possible to your goals. I fear your unhappiness has figuratively "pushed him up against a wall" and his best advice may be now be either placation, or actually good advice that you have chosen to question. Sadly, you may well be right to question this advice if you're up for a third surgery with this same surgeon.

My gut tells me to have you see several other experienced ABPS-certified plastic surgeons and see what rings true and what sounds "bogus." I suspect the true answer lies somewhere in all the present confusion! Best wishes!

Colleen, from your photos it is impossible to tell if you have excessive chin projection for which bony reduction would be possible or recommended. You do not have excessive fat in this area, and no soft tissue surgery is warranted. Without side views and perhaps a direct physical examination to examine the muscular dynamics of this area, it is impossible to give good advice about whether or not chin reduction is even an appropriate consideration!

But it does appear from your smiling views that your teeth do indeed come together properly, so your orthodontist is giving you good advice! Also, you are a pretty girl who may be obsessing about your chin area a bit more than your lovely appearance warrants!

You may wish to consider extremely conservative Botox to help soften the muscular (over)activity that may contribute to the dimpling and irregularity of your chin tissues when you smile, but you certainly don't want to over do the Botox and end up with a crooked or non-smile for several months! Seek the advice of an experienced conservative plastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon, or Dermatologist who perform lots of Botox injections. Best Wishes!

To increase the projection of your chin, either chin implant ( I prefer solid silicone, extended anatomic Flowers mandibular glove implants--no larger than medium for you--placed via a submental incision into a subperiosteal pocket the exact size of the implant so it cannot move, shift, or migrate) or sliding genioplasty (using a power saw to remove the lower part of your mandible, shift it forward the desired amount, and secure the bone with plates and screws after which it heals solidly). Different surgeons might choose one surgical approach over the other; each has pros and cons. Frankly, I believe the solid elastomer implant (or Medpore as another implant option) is a superior option in your case, as it appears you have good teeth occlusion (normal bite) and your degree of microgenia is not severe. Thanks for the photos!

Jaw implants are used along the lower mandibular border to increase the width and prominence of the jawline (an exaggerated example might be a Captain America cartoon--"strong, masculine jawline"); these types of implant have nothing to do with the chin, but can be performed at the same surgery if desired. I personally would consider referral to an oral surgeon experienced in cosmetic jaw surgery, or a plastic surgeon experienced in craniofacial surgery, including the jaw, to discuss jaw implant options. Your lower face does not look excessively narrow, nor your jawline especially deficient. As I do not favor intraoral approaches for placement of alloplastic implants (too high a risk of infection, for which the implants need to be removed), external scars for the placement of jaw implants might tip the balance in favor of just saying "No" to that consideration. But that is something to discuss with your surgeon.