Facial Implants

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have a few questions about faclal implants. Can cheek implants be done with local or non general anesthesia? Also I have a short face and need to add lateral width and height but I worry about the big wrap around jaw implants involving the masseter muscle. So can we do a custom chin implant with wide wings extending laterally and vertically as far back posteriorly as possible but not hitting the masseter muscle. I realize there would be a major step off somewhere further down the jaw and the rest all the way around the ramus I would fill in with fat or radiesse. Also could that be done without general anesthesia too?

A: In regards to facial implants, certainly cheek and an extended chin implant can be done under IV sedation or MAC. (monitored anesthesia care) The use of local anesthesia for most facial implants alone would likely be inadequate and that would be doubly true if both cheek and chin implants are done at the same time. Be aware that the use of local or IV sedation does not save any money as the intraoperative time to do facial implants takes twice as long as when done under general anesthesia. So your motivation for the selection of anesthesia for these facial implant surgeries should not be one of saving money.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana