Chin Surgery

Chin surgery in San Antonio can improve the shape of your chin, through augmentation or reduction of the chin structure. Chin augmentation can be achieved by inserting an implant, or by advancing the tip of the chin bone, a procedure called sliding genioplasty. Chin reduction, conversely, is accomplished by surgically reducing the chin bone.

Plastic Surgeon Dr. Ortegon may recommend chin surgery to a patient who will undergo nose surgery in order to achieve optimal facial proportion, as the size of the chin may magnify or minimize the perceived size of the nose.

Choosing Chin Surgery: Who's a Good Fit?

Those who undergo chin surgery suffer from either micogenia, inadequate chin bone structure, or macrogenia, overly large bone structure. For these individuals, the chin appears disproportionate with the rest of the face, making other features appear prominent.

  • Microgenia: a relatively small chin can be treated with implants or sliding genioplasty
  • Macrogenia: when the chin dominates the face in relation to other facial features, reduction of the bone may be suitable

Chin Surgery in San Antonio: What to Expect

Chin surgery can last anywhere between one to three hours and is conducted in an outpatient setting. General anesthesia is most common, but this varies depending on the needs of the individual.

For a chin implant, Dr. Ortegon will make an incision either inside the mouth or below the chin. Next, he will create a pocket for the implant by gently stretching the tissue. The implant will then be inserted and secured just in front of the jawbone, and the sutures are placed to close the incision.

As an alternative for more severe cases of microgenia, sliding genioplasty may be performed. In this event, Dr. Ortegon will place the incision inside the mouth or below the lower lip. He will then carefully cut the chin bone with a sagittal saw so as to minimize trauma to the soft tissue. The bone piece is then fixated in its new position with titanium screws or wires, and sutures are placed to close the incision.

For chin reduction, Dr. Ortegon will place the incision inside the mouth or under the chin. He will then reshape the chin bone in order to achieve a more proportional contour.

The Results

For the first days following chin surgery you will be restricted to a soft diet. Please refer to Dr. Ortegon for his recommendations for your individual case. It is highly important that you practice good oral hygiene during recovery in order to avoid infection. Dr. Ortegon may prescribe antibiotics in order to give your immune system added support during this time. Sutures are typically removed after about one week.

We at San Antonio Cosmetic Surgery look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you might have regarding chin surgery. You can contact us by calling 210-614-4320 or by sending an email with our online contact form. Our office is located in the greater San Antonio metropolitan area and is an easy commute for residents living in or near the 78251 zip code. We also welcome Texans beyond San Antonio, including residents of Austin, Corpus Christi, McAllen, Harlingen and Brownsville.