Case Study on Customized Jaw and Chin Implant:
Kenneth is a forty-five year old man who wishes to have better definition to his face, neck, and jawline. He has considered all options and has tried many different procedures that have not been beneficial for him. He wishes to have better definition to his neck and jaw line and wishes to have a better contour to the appearance of his face. On physical exam, Ken is a very large man with thick skin throughout his face and neck. He has also had previous chin implant procedures performed elsewhere that he describes having been done incorrectly, and therefore, he had them subsequently removed in the past. He has a slightly droopy chin with jowels and poor definition between the neck and jaw line. The skin does not move easily upon palpation, such that when I put my hands on his face, it is very difficult to get the skin and muscles to move in such a way to further define the neck and jaw line.
Given Ken’s anatomy and his desires, a customized mandibular implant which extends from one jaw angle across the chin to the other jaw angle, is without a doubt the most effective way to improve his neck and jaw line. Ken’s facial anatomy has a low bone to soft tissue ratio on, and this is in contrast to the high bone to soft tissue ratio that a majority of the most attractive faces, including models and actors.
This is the best and only realistic option to accomplish that goal. Given the nature of his tissue, performing a lifting procedure would not be nearly as powerful to further define his neck and jaw line. Ken has opted for the customized procedure, therefore we will obtain a CT scan of his face, and based on the results, we will construct an exact replica of his facial boney skeleton. Afterwards, my team of medical engineers and I will handcraft an implant that will be perfectly customized to his anatomy. We will give him both lateral and inferior projection to the jaw angles, which means we will bring his jaw angle out and down to create much more structure along the lower mandibular border. Once we have designed this model, the implant will then be manufactured, and we will proceed with the procedure as planned.