Can Masseter Muscle Dehiscence Be Repaired If Jaw Angle Implants Are Removed?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I wrote to you a while ago that I was interested in replacing Medpor mandibular angle implants with custom implants.The thing is that after visiting a surgeon he told me that the medpor implants I have caused my masseter to tear and the area has become too skeletal.

Therefore, I wanted to know if you have experience repairing the masseter after removing the implants. Also, I wanted to know if this operation could be performed at the same time as the placement of the new implants or would we have to wait for the masseter to heal properly. Thank you very much for your time.

A: As a general statement once the masseter muscle is dehisced /torn it becomes shortened and scarred and its repositioning is very challenging. I have found masseter muscle repair to largely be an operation with a low chance of success.

That chance of success is improved if implants are being removed but those chances decrease significantly if implants are placed at the same time.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon