Is your nose too prominent? Chin surgery
may help.
It may seem odd, but it may be true:
Some people troubled by a nose that is too prominent actually
may be helped by surgery to the chin.
It's all a question of balance. A weak
or receding chin line can make the nose appear bigger than it
really is. A sloping forehead can make the nose seem to
project even more.
Facial plastic surgeons are trained to
look at the whole face, not just the offending feature. That's
why patients who consult a surgeon seeking one procedure are
sometimes surprised to hear the physician suggest something
different. By studying the dimensions of the face and
relationships of the features to one another, the facial
plastic surgeon can determine what surgical procedures are
needed to create a more harmonious appearance.
Chin augmentation:
Chin augmentation is often done at the
same time as nasal surgery.
It also can accompany a facelift,
liposuction of the face or
neck, and other facial procedures. A relatively minor
procedure, chin augmentation adds only a few minutes to the
time needed to perform other surgery, but it can make a big
difference in the surgical result. Augmenting the chin may
even make it possible for the surgeon to do less to the nose
area and to achieve a more pleasing result.
Chin augmentation is done through a
small incision placed inside inside the mouth, between the
lower lip and gum, or in the small crease under the chin.
The facial plastic surgeon creates a small pocket and slips
an implant into place. The incision is then saturated, and a
small dressing may be placed on the chin for several days. A
bit of swelling and a "stretched" feeling may be
in evidence for a few days, but these symptoms pass quickly.
Most people resume their normal activities about a week
after having chin surgery.
Chin implants come in a variety of
shapes and sizes, which the facial plastic surgeon selects
depending on the shape of the chin and the degree of
correction needed. The implants are made of special surgical
plastic that mimics the feel of the body's own natural
tissue.
Tumescent:
A technique for vacuuming fat deposits
from beneath the chin and in the jaw line is now being used.
The procedure, called tumescent
liposuction, involves injecting the area to be treated with
a fairly large amount of sterile salt solution containing a
local anesthetic. The fluid - about 10 times the volume of
anesthetic normally injected in the traditional liposuction
technique - swells the area, making it "tumescent"
and firm. The facial plastic surgeon can then sculpt the
injected area with great precision.
Although the same amount of anesthetic
is used, the saline a solution distributes it more evenly
throughout the tissues, resulting in a more efficient
numbing effect. In addition, the anesthetic contains
adrenaline, a natural substance that constricts the blood
vessels in the area so that the liposuction procedure can be
carried out with almost no blood loss. As a result, healing
times following surgery may be somewhat quicker, and
bruising, lumpiness, and discoloration are minimized.
Reduction Mentoplasty:
A chin that is too prominent also can
be treated through a procedure called reduction
Mentoplasty. The incision usually is made beneath the
chin, where the scar will be hidden in a natural fold. An
instrument much like a dental drill is used to shave away a
small amount of excess bone.
Orthognathic surgery:
Sometimes a chin that is too large or
too small signals improper development of the lower jaw.
This is a structural problem that requires a more involved
treatment. Problems with the jaw structure itself are
treated with a special procedure called orthongnathic
surgery, which requires close cooperation among the patients
dentist, orthodontist, and surgeon.
