Custom Facial Implants

Q: Dr. Eppley, The more I sit here the more I am feeling like I would just like to come and see you for a 3D CT scan of my face. The sliding genioplasty and lip issues is one thing but I am seeing marked asymmetry in my whole face (the one side literally looks like it is 1/2 inch out farther than the other side causing my cheek and jaw on the one side to be much much larger and lop sided. 

To clarify what I had done: 

Sliding genioplasty 

Mid jaw implants 

Back jaw implants 

Cheek implants 

Buccal fat removal 

I know I would feel better if I saw you for a look over and a scan. My surgeon didn’t do a CT scan on me and claimed he did custom facial implants but from the very first day my one side has looked larger and it is now day 8 and doesn’t feel puffy – just hard like the implant yet it sticks out way way wider than the other side. I specifically asked for no width to be added to the face and for it to stay slim but I feel masculine and disfigured. Even if it just means taking things out for now I’m okay with it. 

A: Having had all of these implants and bone work it would be very common at your early postoperative period to have facial swelling that was asymmetric. So I would not try to judge the symmetry of the results at this early juncture as that is really impossible to know. But if you really want to know how all the implants looks by position and size, then a 3D CT scan would answer those questions. As long as the implants are silicone they can clearly be seen on the scan. Medpor implants are much harder and often impossible to see. The sliding genioplasty of course can be seen very clearly. That is a scan you can get where you live. You just find a place to have it done and I can fax in the order to have it done. You do not need to come here to get the scan but can if you would like.

True custom facial implants require a 3D CT scan to fabricate but your surgeon may have been referring to just shaping standard implants at the time of surgery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana