CaN I Get All Of My Facial Implants Done At Once?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am writing to inquire about the feasibility, estimated cost, and scheduling for a specific comprehensive facial reshaping plan with Dr Eppley.

The procedures I am interested in pursuing are as follows:

 * Custom Brow Bone Implant

 * Custom Cheek Implants

 * Custom Jaw Angle Implants

 * Sliding Genioplasty (for chin shortening and advancement)

 * Mandibular Contouring (bone shaving for jawline definition)

Before scheduling a formal consultation, I would be grateful if you could provide some preliminary information on the following questions:

 * What is the estimated cost range for performing this entire list of procedures?

 * What is the current approximate waiting time for an initial consultation and for a subsequent surgical date?

 * From a surgical perspective, would Dr. Eppley typically recommend performing all of these procedures in a single, comprehensive operation, or would he advise staging them into multiple surgeries?

Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to your response.

A:Thank you for your inquiry and detailing your specific procedural requests. In answer to your specific questions about them:

1) The rate limiting step in any surgical procedure that includes custom designed implants is the time it takes to go through the design and manufacturing process of them. This is usually around three months from wearing the 3-D CT scan is received on which the implants are designed.

2) The question is not whether all of your requested procedures can be done in the same surgery as they can. It would not be rare to do so. The issue is not a technical or medical one about a comprehensive or stage surgical plan. Which approach is best is multi factorial and must be determined on an individual basis looking at the factors of aesthetic priorities, economics, travel and recovery considerations. But when you really break down the list of procedures that you are considering it would strike me that a comprehensive operation would not be unduly difficult for recovery and, since all of the procedures are augmentative, they all would seem to be important given what the likely the overall aesthetic goal is.

3) in looking at your list of procedures I would question the need for mandibular contouring assuming jaw angle and chin augmentation are being done which may obviate the need for that procedure. As a general rule you cannot reduce bone to create definition, it takes augmentation to do so.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon