Should I Go for a Smaller Chin Implant?

I have had a chin operation 3 weeks ago. Just after waking up I felt the left side of my chin swollen, and for the next 10 days, I had a LOT of pain. The left side of my chin and lip were also completely numb. The doctor proudly said he gave me the biggest implant I could get (20mm - nr. 4.2).

I felt it was enormous and I could actually feel the implant sticking up inside the left side of my mouth, and it was very painful. After being twice to the clinic they finally admitted that it as placed wrong and agreed to do a new correction operation within a couple of days.

It’s now been 6 days after the second operation. I don’t feel the implant inside my mouth anymore, but there is a lot of serious pain, and I am just as numb in the left side as before. It still feels like the implant is higher up in the left side then in the right. In right side, I have absolutely no swelling or pain at all.

Should I go for a smaller chin implant like 10-14mm? Would that bring back the feelings to my left side chin/lip? My normal smile is completely gone and I talk very strange because of the swelling and complete numbness. What is your advice?

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numb post-op size

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3 Doctor Answers | Asked by Male30 in Norway

Doctor Answers (3)
Community Comments (0)

Wait two to three months to allow the swelling to subside

It is impossible to tell whether a chin implant should be removed and a new one re-implanted if it has only been three weeks. One needs to wait two to three months to make sure all the swelling has subsided to make sure that the implant is or is not the appropriate implant for the patient. Numbness usually subsides or disappears after two to three months as well. The implant should not be felt sticking inside of the mouth, and that could potentially be a slippage of the implant. The... more

Let it heal with more time.

It sounds like the implant location was corrected at the second operation. You mention that it may be too high on the left side. Check with your surgeon and if this is the case it will need to be corrected with another procedure. The size of the implant should be determined by the amount of correction you want to achieve with the procedure. Chaging implant size at this time would not bring back the sensation to your lip and chin any faster. Your smile will also get better as more time... more

Marcus L. Peterson, MD

4 reviews

Saint George Plastic Surgeon

Implant Size and Numbness Are Different Questions

Implant size and numbness are two different questions. At this point given that you have had two operations in a relatively short period of time I would wait several months (at least 2-3) before doing anything with the implant unless you can definitively tell that the implant is resting on the mental nerve.