Can My Old Depressed Cheekbone Fracture Be Fixed?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have right side cheek bone fracture that is like a dent that makes under my eye appear flat. the injury occurred almost 2 years ago and I am wondering if it can still be repaired or put back together so that it looks normal again I also notice my right starting to become bluey and I’m not sure if it’s do to the injury.

A:Untreated ZMC fractures are not rare and present with contour depression that you describe. There are two approaches to restoring contour after such untreated midface frsctures, recut the bone and reposition it (that fracture is now fully healed) or doing an overlay implant to match the better projection on the opposite side. I have done it many times both ways and it’s fair to say that big custom overlay implants approach is far easier to undergo and gets more accurate results. The only reason to re-cut the bone at this point is if somebody says I simply don’t want an implant. But in so choosing one has to recognize that the magnitude of the surgery, the recovery, and this that it.com is not going to be similar to that of an implant.

That being said one piece of information that is critical In making these decisions is to get a 3-D CT face scan so we can fully appreciate the skeletal differences between the two cheeks sides. That is a scan that can be arranged and ordered in your local geographic area and then sent to me for review.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Plastic Surgeon