Will I Develop Ptosis With Chin Implant Removal?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I wonder if I could call upon your unique expertise one more time. I have found a plastic surgeon locally who is willing to remove my chin implant. He believes it may be a Medpor after all but won’t know for sure until he gets in there. I would prefer that another implant not be placed right away, and the chin be left “empty.” I tried to search online for photos of people who had had implants removed and not replaced, but there’s really nothing out there. My questions are: 1) what is this likely to look like – will the chin be droopy or have excess skin?; and 2) will the tissues fill in and the pocket tighten up so that a future implant (smaller, silicone, and a different shape) will fit relatively securely?

I value your opinion as I just don’t know how much experience other doctors have with this type of situation.

A: It would be safe to assume that the soft tissue chin pad will be somewhat droopy after chin implant removal. It is not a question of whether a soft tissue sag will occur, only in its aesthetic magnitude. Thus a submental tuck type technique would be beneficial. There is no future problems with chin implant replacement provided it is secured by screw fixation.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana