CHIN & MISC. IMPLANTS
INTRODUCTION: Many patients feel that a certain body part does not match their overall facial features or body physique. In certain situations, balance can be achieved by inserting an implant to receive the desired correction. Most patients have been exceedingly pleased with such operative procedures. The solid implants can be made of a soft, smooth silicone rubber or a porous material that resembles Gortex. The appropriate implant will be offered depending on the body location to be addressed. Lips may be augmented with a Gortex type graft, cadaver skin, or your own tissues, fat or a fat-skin combination. The Gortex grafts are permanent but not very popular because they are palpable and cause the lip to feel unnaturally firm. The cadaver (Alloderm®) as well as the patients own fat or dermal-fat grafts usually absorb with time. Lip enhancement is achieved most frequently and safely with an injection of an absorbable substance such as Restylane ®.
 The most commonly performed procedure in this group is chin augmentation. Most people feel that a stronger chin is more aesthetically pleasing than weak chin. A weak chin will also make a nose look larger or a neck droopier than it actually is. Some patients are not aware of a relative chin weakness – we will discuss a chin augmentation with any weak-chinned patient considering a rhinoplasty or a face lift in order to create a more balanced profile.
Less frequently, patients will present with a narrow jaw and request enhancement of the angles of the mandible, or with a weaker upper jaw and request a “pre maxillary implant” that is inserted just under the nose. Implants can also be inserted to give someone more prominent cheek bones.
BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS
CHIN IMPLANT
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48 year old. Rhinoplasty, chin augmentation (size #2). |
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CALF IMPLANTS
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55 year old female before and after calf implants. |
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Juris Bunkis, MD, FACS
email:bunkis@ocps.com
Orange County Plastic Surgery
30212 Tomas, Suite 275
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Phone: (866) 457-1293
Fax: (949) 888-9724
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