Chin implant removal after 5 weeks. Will I have the same shape chin as I had before?

 Hi, I have performed many Chin Augmentations using chin implants for over 30 years.  When the chin is weak, this creates an imbalance making the nose appear larger, the mid face top heavy and the lower face look short that de-emphasizes the lips and allows early formation of a double chin.  Chin augmentation using a chin implant will add projection to the chin creating harmony and balance to the lower face. 





 I have found that placement of a silastic chin implant, through a small curved incision under the chin (also allows excess skin removal) to be very safe, quick, highly effective and far less invasive than a sliding genioplasty.  I perform chin implant surgery in 30 minutes or less, often using a local anesthetic alone.   There are several points that you should consider and discuss with the surgeon that did your chin augmentation with chin implant.  First, is the reason that you are removing the chin implant so soon after placement.  While the chin heals very quickly following chin implant placement using a small, curved incision under the chin (intra-oral approach can take longer to heal as it requires a larger area of dissection)...this process still takes 3-4 weeks for the majority of the swelling to subside.  If you have a small or medium sized anatomical silastic chin implant and you had a weak chin pre-op, you might want to give yourself a month before making the decision to remove the implant.  If the proper sized, shaped chin implant was properly placed, it doesn't make sense to remove it at 5 days post-op because of what it looks like presently because this isn't the final size and shape of your chin.  Your surgeon can explain this in more detail as he/she can explain the risks/benefits of removing the chin implant. When removing a silastic chin implant through a small incision under the chin, the shape of the chin should return to its pre-operative shape within 1-2 months if the implant hasn't been in place for a year or more and isn't a size large or extra large (I believe these very thick implants stretch the tissues more than a small or medium sized implant). Finally, if you have some restricted movement of your mouth at 5 days post-op this is normal as it takes time for the mentalis muscle to accommodate to the chin implant that has been placed underneath.  The movement of the mouth improves dramatically over the first month and typically is back to normal within 6-8 weeks post-op. 



Hope this helps.