Chin Implants Gone Wrong

It
is important for patients to be fully informed of the procedure and the
implants that will be used. Please be aware that patients are swollen for the
first 3-6 weeks, with some patients more swollen than others. The box like
appearance may or may not be the swelling of the chin. I want to encourage you
to remain patient and allow your chin incision and pocket to heal. If you are
still unhappy with your results after 3 months, perhaps the size and the shape
of the implant used was not appropriate for your face dimensions. The only
solution at that point is to take the implant out which is a relative straight
forward procedure. I encourage you to consult with a board certified
surgeon. I hope you found this information helpful.

From what you are describing it seems that the implant chosen for you is too rounded and was probably inserted without adjusting its shape.Once the swelling has settled which usually takes up to 6 months, if the shape of the chin appears too wide it is possible to do a revision and reduce the width of the implant or to replace it with an implant with a different configuration.Most Medpor implants are slightly too wide to be inserted as they come out of the box and need to be tailored to the patient's characteristics and requirements.

There are several types of chin implants and each type comes in various shapes. Pre operative computer imaging, while not perfect, is probably the best way to see what results are possible. Variations in size, width and shape, can be loosely simulated to give you, and your plastic surgeon, and idea of what you are trying to achieve.

Chin implants can be wide or narrow, large or small, rounded or square, tall or short. Some also allow intra-operative modification, and this may be possible for your implant. It is probably best to wait until all the swelling has resolved though, before making any changes, and this can take a year.

Each implant has a unique catalog number which can tell you exactly what implant was placed. Unlike breast implants, this information is not routinely given to the patient. It should be noted in your file, and I like to include the details of the implant in the operative report.

Be sure to discuss your concerns with your surgeon. Good communication is more likely to produce good results.

First, did you and the surgeon do preoperative imaging?


 I think, especially with a chin implant, that it is important that you and the surgeon agree prior to surgery on how the results should look.  Once the imaging is done, the surgeon can take those photos into the operating room and match it as closely as possible.  There is no question that a chin implant changes the look and feel of your face.  My advice is that if you are unhappy with the look of your new chin implant, unless it is utterly horrible, wait a year.  This allows the swelling to go down completely and it gives you the opportunity to get used to the new look.  If, after one year, you are still unhappy, consider going back to the operating room and trimming it down to the size  you want.  Again, preoperative imaging allows you and the surgeon to be "on the same page" with the look you are trying to achieve. 

It's possible that your chin implant could be removed and trimmed down to decrease the size, or simply be replaced.  Without the benefit of an exam, and knowing which implant size/shape you have it's difficult to give further information.