Can A Wraparound Jawline Implant Be Inserted Exclusively Through External Skin Incisions?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I could see that jawline implants inserted through the inside of the mouth have a higher risk of infections And considering the high price (operation + plane + hotel) of it for me, it is a risk that I cannot afford, unfortunately. However can we consider another option, instead of a single wrap around jaw/chin implant with internal placement, instead we would place 3 implants externally, one chin and two mandibles , each customized and fixed by screws.

– Do you think this is possible, or is it not very reliable?

–  For sure the result will not be as good as with a single complete implant, but can it approach it? (For the advancement of the chin I think the result may be similar but for the definition of the jaw the result will be less effective?)

Have a nice day

A: Your question is a reasonable one. It is true that performing the surgery externally would lower the risk of infection as opposed to going intraorally….although no implant operation can have a zero risk of infection. But it would drop it down from around 4% to 1% which is a 4X lower risk.

The key questions about this approach are the following:

1) The acceptance of fine line scar right at the back of the jaw angle area.

2) Going externally does not preclude a wrap around jaw implant. While I have never placed one that way, much of the dissection is actually done from the submental incision. It is the fine details of the dissection around the jaw angle area that need an open approach and I suspect that that all could be done from the small external incision.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana