What Are the Risks of Chin Surgery?

Dear Janessa,

Thank you for your post.  The risks of chin surgery are very minimal.  There is a risk of implant infection, numbness to lower lip, bleeding, but again, the likelyhood of this happening in experienced hands is low.  You will possibly have temporary lower lip numbness, but this resolves. 

Best Wishes,

Pablo Prichard, MD

 Chin implants  come in a  variety of sizes and shapes and are inserted under local anesthesia through small sub-mental incision. The numbness usually dissipates after the first few weeks after having had chin surgery.  Please see the link below for examples in our chin implant photo gallery

Chin implant surgery is typically very safe. It can be performed under local anesthesia, IV sedation or general anesthesia. The serious risks that you inquire about are rare and depend mainly upon your underlying health and the type of anesthesia you're undergoing. Serious complications are rare. The risk of weakness or numbness in the area of the chin implant is also uncommon. Numbness, if it does occur, is usually due to stretching a nerve along the jaw and resolves in a couple of weeks to a couple of months. The best way to minimize these risks is to seek an experienced Facial Plastic Surgeon who operates in an accredited surgery center. I hope this information is helpful.

Whether you have a chin implant or rearrangement of the bones (called sliding osteotomies) the risks of the surgery are very low.  Certainly, death is not likely.  My preferred approach is to place a small silicone plastic implant through a small incision under your chin.  I takes about 30-45 minutes.  The risk of infection of the implant are extremely low, as are the risks of the implant moving.  The other operation, moving the bone of your chin after cutting the bone, carries with it more swelling and a longer time to heal.  The risk of numbness to the lower lip is real, but again extremely rare.  Here is a link for your review.