Assessment of the chin in patients undergoing rhinoplasty: what proportion may benefit from chin augmentation?

[OBJECTIVE] The chin is an important determinant of the lower third of the face, carrying much significance in an esthetically balanced facial appearance. It is, however, often neglected in patients undergoing rhinoplasty procedures in the UK National Health Service (NHS). The aim of this study was to establish the percentage of a cohort of rhinoplasty patients who may also have benefited from chin augmentation.

[STUDY DESIGN] A cross-sectional study.

[SUBJECTS AND METHODS] The digital preoperative pictures of the last 100 patients who underwent rhinoplasty at our institution were retrieved. Four popular methods of assessment were used to assess the chin, that is, those advocated by Silver, Legan, Merrifield, and Gonzales-Ulloa. All analyses were performed on Adobe Photoshop CS4 by two ENT registrars. Values were regarded as positive when there was interobserver agreement. Relevant angles were averaged.

[RESULTS] A total of 94 photographs were suitable for analysis. There were 58 males. Depending on the method of assessment, the percentage of males who fulfilled criteria for augmentation ranged from 17 to 62 percent and for females the range was 42 to 81 percent. Additionally, 21 percent of males were positive on three or more of the methods utilized. The respective figure was 58 percent for females.

[CONCLUSION] Surgeons who practice rhinoplasty should consider making an objective assessment of the need for possible chin augmentation. Our study shows that as many as 81 percent of patients may benefit, although this figure varies with the method of assessment. In this study, the necessity for further analysis with a view to chin augmentation was more likely in women.