Can The Temporal Hollowing From A Craniotomy Be Fixed?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Hello, so basically I have a dent on the right side of my face and am looking for answers on if I can get worked on. I got the dent from a car accident, I had my right bone flap removed then put back in 2.5 months later. Sadly healed up with a dent and haven’t seen any doctors or surgeons for my head since the surgery.

A: You have the classic temporal muscle atrophy that comes from having had a temporal craniotomy from your accident. This soft tissue depression, which may be magnified by some temporal bone settling, can be built up using a variety of methods from injectable fat grafting, bone cements, to custom temporal implants. Each temporal reconstructive method has its advantages and disadvantages.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon