Mini V line surgery is a chin narrowing concept that manipulates the bone to create a more narrow or v-shaped chin. Specifically it involves a combination of a horizontal osteotomy and a vertical midline ostectomy of the chin bone to narrow it. Vertical shortening/lengthening as well as horizontal advancement can also be done based on the patient’s aesthetic needs but decreasing the width of the chin is its primary goal.
While mini V line surgery is effective , and sometimes too effective if overdone, there is an alternative approach that does not require an osteotomy. A combination of bone removal and augmentation can in the patient with the right dimensional needs be an alternative treatment strategy.
Through an intraoral approach the sides of the chin can be reduced by a reciprocating saw for a narrowing effect. (lateral tubercle reductions) This is most effective in patients that have prominent lateral tubercles or prominences that create a broader or more square chin shape.
The shape of the chin is further narrowed by the addition of an implant but not just any implant. A small anatomic chin implant is hand modified to create a v-shaped implant. It is then secured to the front of the chin with double screw fixation that further enhances the v-shape of the chin by a tapered horizontal augmentation. It is extremely helpful for placement that the screws are preplaced into the implant.
This combined autologous-implant approach to mini V line surgery chin reshaping will not work for every patient. It requires that no vertical height changes of the chin are needed and that horizontal augmentation is beneficial. If vertical height changes are needed or no change in horizontal augmentation is needed, hen traditional completely autologous mini V line surgery is needed.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana