Can I Still Get Cheek Implants After Having Maxillary Sinusitis?

Q: Dr. Eppley, After perusing your blog extensively (thank you for it, it has been a tremendous help!), I’ve finally decided to get cheek implants. My issue is that I had a sinus infection 2 weeks ago,and my doctor put me on antibiotics for a week. It has since cleared up and I don’t have any symptoms of sinusitis anymore. As I will be getting my cheek implants in two weeks, will enough time have passed for me to get the implants safely, or will I be an increased risk of infection due to the prior sinusitis?

Cheek Implants and Maxillary Sinusitis Dr Barry Eppley IndianapolisA: It would be logical to assume that there could be a correlation between cheek implants and maxillary sinusitis. And certainly one should not undergo any elective cosmetic procedure if any active head and neck infection is ongoing. While they are anatomically very close, the placement of cheek implants on top of the zygomatic bones and the sinuses located below and behind the front wall of the maxilla are distinctly separate areas that do not connect. Even an active maxillary sinus infection does not contaminate the tissues where a cheek implant would be placed.

But having a two week period where the maxillary sinusitis is cleared would be prudent. But the typical antibiotics given for facial implants (usually Keflex) is not the type of antibiotics that should be prescribed for maxillary sinusitis since it does not provide adequate antimicrobial coverage.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana