Can A Sliding Genioplasty Be Combined With Custom Jaw Implants?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Is it possible to do a combination of sliding genioplasty for vertical and horizontal chin increases while also doing jaw implants to maintain the optimal jawline proportions and angles? Can both procedures be done in the same surgery?

Is a wrap around vertically lengthening implant the better alternative or is this a case by case assessment? 

A: Thank you for your inquiry. It is very common in my practice to combine a sliding genioplasty for the chin and a custom jawline implants for the rest of the jawline.

Whether a total custom jawline implant would be better or even a good alternative depends on the horizontal and vertical dimensional changes needed for the chin augmentation part of the jaw. If the additive numbers of the horizontal and vertical chin movement is 12 or less a custom jawline implant can be done. But if those combined numbers are greater than 12, a sliding genioplasty is needed for the chin augmentation.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana