Chin surgery, or mentoplasty as it is otherwise known, is a plastic surgical procedure in which the patient's chin is reduced or enlarged as is deemed necessary to improve the appearance of the face. The procedure is often performed in addition to rhinoplasty (nose surgery) when it is considered that it will be beneficial in giving balance to the facial features.

While both enlargements and reductions may fall under the heading of 'mentoplasty', this term is often more specific to the reduction procedure and the enlargement procedure, or augmentation of the chin, is often referred to as genioplasty.

Procedure information
In a mentoplasty operation, the surgeon makes an incision in the skin, either under the chin or beneath the lower lip from inside the mouth depending on the area of chin he/she needs to operate on. Having gained access to bone, the surgeon then uses electrical equipment to shave it down and reshape it until it acquires a more natural appearance.

The augmentation procedure involves similar incisions to gain access to the bone, after which enlargement is achieved either with the insertion of an implant or by cutting an area of the bone, bringing it forward and then fastening it in place with wires and/or screws. Mentoplasty can be performed in as little as 30 minutes but more complicated cases can take up to two hours to complete. Both operations are performed under general anesthetic.

Recovery time
Patients can expect some swelling and discoloration in the period following the mentoplasty operation, but this normally subsides within a couple of weeks. The intensive healing period for either procedure is six to ten days, during which time the patient's diet will be important and the surgeon will give advice on the appropriate foods. The total healing time for the procedure is between three and five weeks.