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(Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine)
Background: The chin shape and position is important in determining the general shape of the face, and augmentation genioplasty is performed alone or in combination with other aesthetic procedures. However, augmentation genioplasty using osteotomy is an invasive and complex procedure with the potential to damage mentalis muscle and mental nerve, to affect chin growth, and prolonged recovery. Our aim was to present our experience with a modified augmentation genioplasty procedure for hypoplastic chins using a Gore-Tex implant. Methods: Two vertical slit incisions were made at the canine level to create a supra-periosteal pocket between the incisions, preserving the periosteum and mentalis muscle. Minimal sub-periosteal dissection was performed lateral to the incisions along the mandibular border. The both wings of implant were inserted under the periosteum to achieve a stable dual plane implantation. Results: In total, 47 patients underwent dual plane chin augmentation using a Gore- Tex implant between January 2008 and May 2013. The mean age at operation was 25.77 years (range, 15-55 years). There were 3 cases of infection; one patient was treated with antibiotics, the others underwent implant removal. Additionally, two patients complained of postoperative parasthesia that spontaneously improved without any additional treatment. Most patients were satisfied with the postoperative outcomes, and no chin growth problems were observed among the younger patients. Conclusion: Dual plane Gore-Tex chin augmentation is a minimally-invasive operation that is simple and safe. All implants yielded satisfactory results with no significant complications such as mental nerve injury, lower lip incompetence, or chin growth limitation.