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Chin Implant Removal

asked 3 years ago by anon
Latest answer by Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS
Question viewed 16,145 times
Tags: recovery, removal

How hard is it to remove a chin implant and how long is the recovery?

29 answers to Chin Implant Removal

+7

Chin Implant Removal

Hello there, Chin implants are relatively easy to remove. It is best to wait a month or longer to be sure this is what you want to do. There is very little down time with this procedure. The type of anesthesia used for chin removal can be local or general. Consult with your surgeon to help you with these decisions. Best of luck, Dr. David Alessi
David Alessi, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.facialinstitute.com

+1

Chin Implant, Chin Augmentation.

I have used Chin Implants for over 25 years and If it's a silastic chin implant, it's quite easy to remove.  It can even be done under local without anesthesia if no screws were used to secure the Chin Implant.  Recovery is quick, several days although I'd advise no strenuous activity for 2 weeks after the removal.  Steri Strips are placed over the chin for several days.  I only place and remove Chin Implants through a skin incision under the chin and... more
Francis R. Palmer, III, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

drfrancispalmer.com

+4

Chin Implant Removal

Chin implant removal is a relatively easy process. The question is what is your objectives, and are your goals best met by removing the implant. The downtime is minimal with swelling subsiding in a week or less.
Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS

West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon
+4

Chin Implant Removal

Chin implant removal is easy with a quick recovery. The real question is why do you want your chin implant removed?
David Finkle, MD

Omaha Plastic Surgeon
+2

Chin implant removal

Generally this is a very simple procedure with little downtime and a quick recovery. Implants are made of different types of materials from acrylic, goretex, and silastic. Some implants are easier to remove then others. Typically the goretex implant will have tissue ingrowth and the amount of ingrowth depends on the amount of time the implant has been implanted. If the implant has been placed in recently then there should be no factor of ingrowth involved in the removal. I find it very... more
Michael Elam, MD

Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon

michaelelammd.com

+2

Preventing deformities after chin implant removal is the important consideration

When you take out a chin implant you need to make sure that the space that is left behind is not too large. If there is a significant space, this could create scar formation and an odd appearance. Sometimes, it is beneficial to put in a smaller implant or a different implant depending on what is concerning you. If you just take it out, the empty area will create deformities of the chin that can look unflattering.
Philip Young, MD

Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drphilipyoung.com

+2

Chin implant removal depends on type of implant

As you can see, there are many different types of implants: Silicone (smooth surfaced) Medpor PTFE Mesh Hydroxyapatite. The silicone are by far the most popular and quite easy to remove under local. The others however can be quite complex. The first step is to find out the type of implant. The second step is the size. Small implants (5-6mm or projection or less can be easily removed without much consequence). Larger implants may stretch the skin or actually cause bony erosion.... more
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+2

It is generally quite easy

As you can see from the other answers, if the implant is silicone, it will not be adhered to the tissue and can be removed quite easily. Removing the pocket becomes more of a challenge and its need is debatable. Other typesof implants such as Medpore are intended to have ingrowth of tissue to help hold them in place. This can make for a more involved removal but still possible. Exactly what you will look like after is hard to tell, but almost always the patients return to their preop... more
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+2

Chin implant removal is ususlly simple and easy with local anesthesia.

All implants are foreign bodies which become coated with an envelope of scar tissue over a short time. This is what ultimately holds chin (or breast) implants in place and symmetrical. After a chin implant is removed, the slick surfaces of the scar capsule must adhere properly to prevent a loose fold of tissue and deformity from forming. It would be normal surgical practice to remove the thin scar tissue layer also so the original chin tissues can heal to each other. This is very critical in... more
James S. Beckman, MD

Fayetteville Plastic Surgeon
+2

Typically-- chin implant removal is easy using local anesthetic

Typically, removal of a chin implant should be an easy procedure. I have removed several in my office with local anesthesia. It is very important that you see a board certified plastic surgeon to ensure the best possible outcome. The surgeon will need to determine the type of chin implant used in addition to how it was implanted. Overall, this should be a relatively simple procedure. Thanks for your question.
Stephen A. Goldstein, MD

Englewood Plastic Surgeon
+2

Generally easy

Technically, removal of a chin implant is easy... assuming it is a silastic type implant. Medpor implants can be much more difficult. Recovery is very quick as well. Little of the swelling associated with the initial surgery typically happens. Patients having their chin implant removed should expect to have their old prolile back. The chin implant may also mask some looseness of the neck, so that when the implant is removed, the neck may appear somewhat looser. Patients will obviously... more
Brent Moelleken, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+2

Silicone chin implant removal may be a simple local procedure

Occasionally a patient desires removal of a facial implant. This can be for various reasons including malposition or incorrect shape. If the implant was placed through an incision under the chin it would be a relatively simple matter of removing it under local anesthesia. There will be a capsule around the implant which makes this removal easy. There are other forms of chin implants including one made from Porex that can have some tissue ingrowth making removal a bit more difficult. It... more
Jeffrey Zwiren, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+2

Chin Implant Removal: Basic Facts

Removal of chin implants depends on two factors: Type of implant Whether there is ingrowth of tissue into implant If the chin implant is made of silicone, it is easy to remove the implant. If the implant is made of other substances such as medpore, for example, the tissue will have grown into the implant and thus, the dissection is seldom straightforward. The other two important aspects of the discussion are whether removing an implant may cause a secondary deformity with drooping of the... more
Raffy Karamanoukian, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
+2

Implant removal

As plastic surgeons we usually spend a great deal of time and effort to keep implants in, however, there are occasions when we need to take facial implants out. The ease really depends where it was placed and what the implant was made out of (with this last factor being the more important of the two). Implants made from silicone typically have a capsule around them formed by your body. The implant is usually quite easily removed once this capsule is identified. Implants made out of a... more
Steven H. Williams, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon
+1

Chin Implant Removal

Chin implant removal is typically not difficult if the implant is made of silastic (the most popular chin implant material). This is because the body forms a soft tissue capsule around the implant. The incision under the chin is reopened. Once the capsule is entered, the implant should slide out pretty easily. The incision is then stitched up. The recovery should not be too long. Usually one week at the most and during that time, it would be unlikely for those around you to notice unless... more
Michael M. Kim, MD

Portland Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Chin Implant removal is usually not technically difficult

If the implant is a silastic implant then it can be relatively easy to remove in the office under local anesthetic. If it is Medpor it can be more difficult. The pocket that is left behind can scar down and create asymmetry that never existed previously. You will also lose the projected appearance of your chin. The down time should be relatively minimal. You should be able to return to work (depending on what you do), in a couple of days and swelling should resolve in a couple of weeks. more
Todd C. Miller, MD

Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Easy removal

It depends on implant type. Usually, implant removal can be done with a very simple surgical procedure under local anesthesia. When "not-silicone" implants have been used, implant removal can be quite difficult.
Enrique Etxeberria, MD

Spain Plastic Surgeon
+1

Chin implant removal

The ease of difficult of implant removal is dependent on the material of the implant and the effects of any surrounding capsule. Without the implant, the chin will again be recessive and the effects of aging may make it appear worse than the condition you may remember. In such a case, it may be important to plan a multifaceted surgery which includes cosmetic correction of the resulting defect.
Robert L. Kraft, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Easy to remove chin implant?

I agree that the ease or difficulty of chin implant removal depends on what the implant is made of and how it has been placed. In general, removal should not be too difficult.
Lawrence Kass, MD

Saint Petersburg Oculoplastic Surgeon
+1

Removal of a chin implant

It depends on the type of implant used.  Silicone implants are very easy to remove and can often be done so in the office with local anesthetic.  Porex implants are much more difficult to remove. Porex does have the advantage of rarely being displaced or cause other complications.  If your implant is silicone, then your recovery will be relatively short.  Minimal swelling and the incision will be healed in a couple of weeks.
Leif Liu Rogers, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+1

Chin Implant Removal

Chin implant removal is a very simple procedure which can be performed with local anesthesia as an outpatient. The recovery is very quick. You may have some swelling for 5-7 days. From El Paso.
Frank Agullo, MD

El Paso Plastic Surgeon
+1

Chin Implant Removal is Usually Easy

Chin implant removal is generally easy, although it is somewhat dependent on the material the implant is made from. Silastic chin implants are very commonly used; removal is very easy because no tissue in-growth occurs  with this form of implant. Goretex implants have some degree of tissue in-growth, depending on the amount of time the implant has been in place. As other posters have noted, the important point in implant removal is adequate adherence of the "dead space"... more
Stephen Prendiville, MD

Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Chin implant removal

Under normal circumstances a routine chin implant can be removel easily under local anesthesia through the original incision. One added benefit here is that scar tissue after implant removal may actually afford some natural augmentation without the implant in place
Richard Galitz, MD

Miami Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Chin implant removal

Chin implants are relatively easy to remove if you are unhappy because it is too large. If you wish to replace it, it is best to wait 6 months to replace it with a smaller implant so that the tissues can heal and contract.
Burr Von Maur, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+1

Chin can look deformed after chin implant removal.

Hi. It is extremely easy to remove a chin implant. But that is not the important question. If a chin implant is just removed, the chin afterwards can look bad with dimpling and abnormal movements. So, if a patient is not happy with a chin implant, I recommend REPLACING it (smaller, different shape, different position). This usually works well.
George J. Beraka, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Chin implant removal depends on the type of implant

The difficulty of removing an implant will depend on the type of implant. For silicone or silastic implants, removal is very easy and can often be undertaken in the office with only local anesthesia. For other types of implants, removal can be more difficult and sometimes require general anesthesia. Unless there was a medical reason, I would wait at least a month before removing the implant to be sure that the reasons for removal and dissatisfaction are not related to swelling.... more
D.J. Verret, MD

Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Chin implant removal can either be extremely easy or very difficult

Chin implant removal can either be extremely easy or very difficult. The answer to your question really rests on what type of implant was used and how it was inserted. Chin implants that are placed externally via an incision below the chin are easier to remove than ones placed through the mouth. Typically these procedures can be done under local anesthesia. The next issue to consider is the type of implant that was used. If it was either a solid silicone or goretex implant, then removal is... more
Scott Trimas, MD

Jacksonville Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Chin implant removal

Chin implant removal is usually very easy. Sometimes they are secured with screws and when they require removal, you just need the proper instrumentation.
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Yes, a chin implant can be removed.

Drusilla, Chin implant removal is usually a straightforward procedure. It can usually be removed through the same incision in which is was placed.
David Shafer, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon

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