Chin Surgery

Expect to spend about 45 minutes to an hour with Dr William Mooney for a thorough chin consultation.

You will first be greeted by Dr Mooney’s receptionists, they will ask you to fill in a form with basic details.
One of Dr Mooney’s trained nurses will begin by taking high resolution images for subsequent digital images. The nurse will also provide a pre-consultation.
This is followed by a formal consultation with Dr William Mooney.
He will assess your full medical history and a medical examination is performed.
We then move onto a cosmetic assessment, using our digital photography.
Ethnicity, gender and existing chin type is considered when we use real time high resolution imagery in both 2D and 3D to plan a new chin for you.
The jaw is very pertinent to perception of gender to patients; a heavy jawline indicates a masculine face and a weak or recessive jawline appears feminine or even gormless and planning a new contour is much about facial harmony as it is about confidence for patients.
Dr William Mooney will then discuss operative planning, risks and complications.
We always have at least two consultations before the procedure. This cooling off period is essential as this is such an important life decision. It is a healthcare stipulation for young patients but we apply to all patients.
At our subsequent consult, we discuss the finer details of the pre-operative treatment; what to wear, eat, think and do as your operation approaches.
You will also revisit the digitally modified images and don’t move forward until the patient and doctor are fully appraised and happy with the plan.

Patients usually have fairly good self-awareness in terms of an over or under projected chin. However, the best way to figure it out is to take time to make a consult and do digital imaging. Sometimes it’s not an under projected chin but an over projected nose (or vice versa).

Following your first consultation, the wait period for a chin procedure is between two to six weeks.

The chin surgery (reduction, implant & injectable) can take approximately one hour.

There are two different procedures that can be performed in isolation.
An augmentation can be performed in a scarless fashion, trans orally or via small incision. The chin implant we use is a soft silicone implant and it has been used successfully many times in clinic since 2000 without complication.
Soft tissue and bone are removed and haemostasis is achieved.
We take several sized implants into operating theatre and trial different sizes until we achieve perfect facial balance and harmony, as planned in our preoperative imaging.
We take great time to avoid the nerves to the lower lip, which are close to the operative site. The transoral route has dissolving and the external route sutures are visible and non-dissolving and have to be removed.
The chin is treated with supported dressing.
A chin augmentation can be performed in a clinical setting when injecting a semi-permanent or permanent filler.

No, pain is not a big feature of this procedure. Dressing around the head must stay in place for one week and at night for an additional six weeks if the patient has chosen to move forward with the surgical option.

Yes but usually resolves within seven to 10 days.

Chin surgery (reduction, implant & injectable) is performed under general anaesthetic in a theatre setting, unless the patient has selected to move forward with an injectable augmentation, this can be performed in clinic.

Two weeks off work is sufficient. Patients can return to work immediately if they have had an injectable chin augmentation.

Dr Mooney and the pre-operative nurse will go through all of your operative planning a couple of weeks before chin surgery.
Some food stuffs such as chilli, garlic and galangal do increase prolonged bruising.

Dr Mooney performed his first chin surgery (reduction, implant & injectable) in 2000.

Augmentation can be performed in a scarless fashion trans orally or via small incision under the chin. The chin implant we use is a soft silicone implant and it has been used successfully many times in clinic since 2000 without complication.

The transoral route has dissolving stitches and the external route sutures are visible and non-dissolving and have to be removed.

Prior to your chin surgery, you may be advised to stop and start certain supplements and medication.
Dr Mooney and the pre-operative nurse will go through all of your operative planning a couple of weeks before surgery.

Typically, Dr Mooney will ask our interstate patients to stay in Sydney for seven to 10 days following chin surgery.

Typically, Dr Mooney will ask international chin surgery patients to stay in Sydney for three weeks.

Chin surgery (reduction, implant & injectable) is typically a purely cosmetic procedure and cannot be claimed via Medicare or private health fund.

Yes, chin surgery (reduction, implant) is a permanent procedure. However, an implant can be removed or semi-permanent fillers dissolved.

Following chin surgery (reduction, implant & injectable), no exercise week one, walking week two, light cardio week three is permitted, light weights week four and back to normal week five to six.
The injectable chin augmentation should not impact the patients exercise routine for more than one day.

As soon as the dressing is taken off, patients have a good idea of how the chin and jawline will appear. Swelling and bruising can take a couple of weeks to resolve, however.