Can Custom Facial Implants Be Rejected?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have some questions about custom facial implants:

  1. Can the material used for them potentially cause cancer?
  2. Can they be rejected?
  3. How often do patients get revisions iof they are unhappy?
  4. I have had foot surgery with plates and screws. Do them being there make it more likely to cause infection for custom facial implants?
  5. Can I get an MRI if screws are used to secure the implants to the bone?
  6. Which is better for facial augmentation, fat injections or implants?

A: In answer to your custom facial implant questions:

1) Custom facial implants and the materials from which they can be made do not cause cancer.

2) They also do not result in rejection. You are confusing rejection with the risk of infection, which does exist, and occurs. in 1% to 2% of such surgeries.

3) Custom facial implants have a revision rate of 20% top 30%, primarily for aesthetic reasons.

4) I am not aware that implants in one location of the body increase the risks of implant placement  in any other location of the body.

5) Facial hardware is composed or titanium, a non-ferromagentic meta that is MRI compatible.

6) Fat injections create non-defined volume augmentation while implants create more defined and controlled facial augmentation changes. Both have their role in aesthetic facial augmentation, which is better depends on what facial changes the patient is desiring to achieve.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon