Chin Microgenia: A Clinical Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: The aesthetic relevance of the chin and its relatively simple correction through different approaches make genioplasty one of the most performed aesthetic procedures of the face. Sliding genioplasty is extremely rewarding, particularly when performed as an adjunction to rhinoplasty, rhytidectomy, or jaw surgery. In the scientific literature, many different surgical techniques are described, but the biological implications and the economical impact can shape the surgeon's decision on which can be the best treatment: surgical correction with osteotomy, chin implants, or with fillers.

Objective: The authors propose a decision making protocol for correcting chin microgenia based on a revision of 345 treated cases.

Methods: A retrospective review of 345 cases of chin microgenia was undertaken to understand the proper preoperative assessment and therapeutic planning. A total of 135 patients were treated with surgical sliding genioplasty (group A): 60 patients (group B) have been grafted with alloplastic implants and the remaining 150 patients (group C) with hyaluronic acid. We recorded clinical indications, complications, and long-term aesthetic results at 3-year follow-up.

Results: The analysis of the results based on the entity of the chin's sagittal defect, the chin soft-tissue thickness, the patient's age, and self-judgment allows for simplified treatment planning for sagittal chin deformities showing a greater predictability and a more stable long-term aesthetic result regarding sliding genioplasty compared to alloplastic implant placement and fillers.

Conclusions: Our proposal for a simple and versatile protocol of chin microgenia aims to simplify the therapeutic indications for a predictable and a stable long-term aesthetic result.

Level of evidence ii: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .