Your Questions

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have two questions. Do you do permanent eyebrow shaping and coloring? How often does one have this procedure done? What is the fee? What is the cost of earlobe repair as my hair is short now and I have worn heavy earrings making my lobes longer.

A: Thank you for your inquiry. What you are referring to is known as permanent makeup or micropigmentation. It is done for the creation or restoration of eyebrows regularly. I have a fully trained and certified aesthetician who is our micropigmentation specialist. This is done in the office under local anesthesia and takes a few hours to complete.  I will have her contact you to provide the costs of the procedure. It is important beforehand to have a consultation where the eyebrow shape and color can be selected. Usually we like to apply with an eyeliner pencil the shape of the eyebrow and color so you may wear it for a few days to be certain it is right for you. Micropigmentation, like many tattoos, can be difficult to reverse and it is best to think of this procedure as irreversible. 

Earlobe repair/shortening is also an office procedure done under local anesthesia. So combining earlobe reduction and eyebrow procedures would be a convenient approach to solving both concerns in but a few hours. Neither one is associated with any recovery issues. 

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I’m going to have a hysterectomy and wanted to have a tummy tuck done at the same time and heard this may be possible. Two questions, what is your experience in doing this combination and how do you go about arranging for an Ob-Gyn to do the procedure? Also, what is the average cost for a tummy tuck although I know each patient is different.

A: The combination of a tummy tuck with a hysterectomy is the most classic and commonly performed cosmetic/reconstructive surgery combination. There is no question about the efficiency of the hysterectomy/tummy tuck combo and the convenience of the recovery. Many times the patient’s Ob-Gyn has a working relationship with a plastic surgeon so the coordination of the combination procedure is easy. Conversely, most plastic surgeons know Ob-Gyns they can refer you to if you do not have one that can work in the same facility. That is the first hurdle, getting an Ob-Gyn and a plastic surgeon who have operating privileges in the same location. Since this involves a hysterectomy and an overnight stay (at least), the facility will need to be a hospital and not an outpatient surgery center.

Despite these procedures commonly being done together, it is important today to look at the economics of this surgical combination. While in days gone by the costs of the use of a hospital operating room and anesthesia were largely ignored and rolled into the insurance coverage of the hysterectomy, that is no longer true. That approach is both fraudulent and unaccepted by hospitals today. Therefore, a tummy tuck with a hysterectomy is going to incur more costs than just the plastic surgeon’s fee alone. The hospital is going to ask for operating room and anesthesia fees incurred by the tummy tuck to be paid beforehand. With the high costs of hospital care today, it would be very important to look at the total expense of the tummy tuck when performed in a hospital setting. In the past few years, despite the convenience of putting these two procedures together, I have seen patients opt to separate them to save significant costs. Tummy tucks performed in outpatient surgery centers are almost always less costly then when done in the hospital. How much difference there might be depends on the specific hospital and if they have reasonable flat fee rates for cosmetic surgery in place.  

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am really interested in forehead reduction/hairline lowering. I am 21 years old and have not been able to find any local surgeons that can perform forehead reduction surgery. My forehead is incredibly long from the top of my eyebrows back to my hairline. It is like the entire front part of my skull is way in front of my hairline. I am looking for more information as to how this procedure is done and what my options are. I have sent some pictures so you can see for yourself my issue.

A: In looking at your pictures I can see the amount of frontal and temporal recession of your hairlines. You forehead is at least 8cms if not more. While vertical forehead skin reduction and hairline advancement can be done, its success and method depends on how much laxity or looseness your scalp has. Using the natural scalp laxity that can be obtained by surgical release, you will likely get a 1 to 1.5 cms advancement in the midline of the forehead and less so as it tapers into the temporal area. Up to 3cms or more can be obtained with a two-stage approach using a tissue expander first, followed by a second-stage scalp advancement. To find out what you need and which method may be best for you, do the marking test. Trace out the desired hairline with eyeliner pencil and then do a measurement to see how much advancement in centimeters that you need. Also take a feel of your natural scalp tightness by pushing forward on it and see how tight or loose that it is. These are the tests I would do if you were sitting in front of me to answer what method is needed to achieve your forehead reduction goals.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, the forehead bone above my eyes is pumped out or sticks out which makes me looking different. It just curved out like bumps. I have good insurance which covers everything 100 % but I’m not sure if it covers plastic surgery. My questions are what is the best surgery to remove some of the bone thickness and will you accept insurance?

A: Brow bone prominence or protrusion, contrary to popular perception, is not caused by increased bone thickness. Rather it develops because of overgrowth or excessive pneumatization of the frontal air cavity sinus. Thus the large brow bones actually have a very thin layer of covering bone. To reduce them requires an osteotomy of the anterior table of the frontal sinus bone, reshaping it, and then and then replacing it. This is the only way to reduce a large brow bone, particularly in a man. This is a cosmetic condition not a medical necessary one that improves appearance but not function. Therefore  brow bone reduction surgery is not covered by insurance no matter what plan one may have.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a rhinoplasty two years ago of which I am not happy with the result. My nose now looks too feminine. It is upturned rather than long like I wanted it and the bridge of my nose seems too low now. The tip of my nose is still too wide and I see too much nostril now. I know that revisional rhinoplasty is difficult and my option are limited at this point. But what do you recommend as I trust your judgment. I have attached some pictures for your review and comments.

A: While I do not have the advantage of see what your nose looked like before, I can tell that you had a rhinoplasty and I see several improveable problems. First, the tip is overrotated superiorly, making the nose look short and giving it the false impression that the nasal bridge is low. Secondly there is alar rim retraction probably caused by lack of support from the lower alar cartilages from too much cephalic trim and/or as part of the tip overrotation. These conditions could all be improved by a secondary rhinoplasty which will require septal cartilage grafts to support tip derotation/lengthening, batten grafts for lower alar cartrilage support as well as alar rim grafts for nostril rim lowering. With your thick nasal skin, there is a limit as to how much tip narrowing you can achieve and you may have already reached the best that you can do.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I suffered facial injuries due to which my surgeon have to put two plates on my eye socket and two on my mandible fracture. I am 19 years old and I want to know can I remove these plates after my bones get fully healed?. Please reply to me as fast as you can.

A: Once the bones from facial fractures are healed, the indwelling metal plates and screws can be removed. As a general rule, that is six months after the initial injury and repair. Because it is another invasive surgery, there has to be a good reason to remove them. Palpability (I can feel them), cold temperature transmission (around the eye) or if they get loose and cause pain are all good reasons for their removal. But short of these reasons, there is no medical necessity to remove other than if having them out provides some psychological solace and a closure to why they needed to be put in there in the first place.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am bothered by my downturned corners of my mouth. It makes me look sad even though I am not. I am tired of people asking me if I am sad or mad. My mouth has a bit of an upside down U-shape to it. I just need my smile line leveled out like it used to be. What are my treatment options?

A: The downturning of the corners of the mouth primarily occurs due to the tissues above it falling downward. As the cheek tissue above the nasolabial fold descends with age and gravity, it pushes the corners of the mouth down with it. This creates the classic smile inversion and the expression of sadness. The muscles around the mouth, particularly the depressor anguli oris muscle, can also contribute to pulling the corners down. Contrary to popular perception, a facelift will not lift up the corners of the mouth. The problem must be treated, not from a distant pull of skin.

The arc of the smile line can be improved by two methods. The most common approach is the injectable approach. By adding volume to the tissues underneath and under the mouth corners, a definite lifting effect can be seen. The best injectable fillers to use for this are hyaluronic-acid based such as Restylane or Juvederm. Adding Botox or Dysport is also helpful because it weakens the depressor muscle and will cause the unopposed lip elevator muscles to pull the corners up. These injectable effects can be subtle and will only last as long as that of the materials used. A more permanent and dramatic effect can come from an actual corner of the mouth lift. By removing a small triangle of skin from just above the mouth corner, the commissure is actually repositioned upward. This is a simple procedure that can be performed in the office under local anesthesia.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, My skull shape is rather problematic. I have a weak forehead (probably about 1 inch), the problem is that the top of my head is not round, there is a noticeable gap, once you hit my hairline, my skull goes flat, it isn’t until about 2 inches further that there is a slope where it increases. I could upload and send you pictures so you can see. Would it be possible to actually build up that ‘missing’ forehead? My other question involves my face width from ear to ear. With the weak forehead, and noticeable cheekbones, and jaw…they add up to making it appear as if I am fat. Other than removing buccal fat, is it possible to shave off some of that and moving the bones further in to reduce the width? Thank you for your time.

A: I would first recommend that you send me some pictures for my assessment. But to provide some general comments, the forehead can definitely be built up with cranioplasty material. The buildup can be extended back up into the skull area. This would need to be done through an open coronal (scalp) approach. When it comes to the face, however, such bony width reductions are much more limited and unlikely to be able to do what you want to achieve.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am just in the beginning stages of planning for surgery to change my poor sagging body. I am interested in the procedures of breast augmentation, body lift, liposuction and a tummy tuck.. I need to know an approximate cost and payment options available. Thank you.

A: Based on the list that you have proposed of interested procedures, there are a wide variety of body contouring options available for all of those changes. With such a list, it is best to come in and get a thorough treatment planning session to see what is possible and place a priority on the different body areas. Because of the options available, it is not really possible to give you any good cost estimates other than some general pricing. For instance, a body lift includes a tummy tuck so they are quite different procedures. Liposuction is based on body areas treated and often is not needed in the face of a body lift. Breast augmentation costs vary based on the type of implant used (saline
vs silicone) and whether a lift is needed at the same time

I will have my assistant contact you to answer many of your general cost questions including how to finance. She can also arrange for a consultation for you to develop a surgical body contouring plan based on your priorities and cost. This is the best way to pick the operations that will have the greatest return on your effort and investment. For those patients who finance, the use of Care Credit is the most common method used.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have significant pectus excavatum which I want improved. I had a Nuss procedure done many years ago and, although it is improved, I am not satisfied. I have already explored the option of silicone implants but didn’t preferred it since it is artificial  and I don’t want the risk in future for problems with it or any further surgery.  I request you to kindly advise me an alternative option other than silicone implants. I had been exploring the
option of “artificial bone”. I understand artificial bones are almost like natural bone and so I would like to use the artificial bone for the dent portion and fat grafting for remaining portion of the chest above the dent filled portion. I request you to kindly advise me on having the option of artificial bone and fat grafting for attaining the required shape of the chest.

A: I am afraid that you confusing synthetic bone substitutes as having the same physical properties of natural bone, which they do not. There are hydroxyapatite cements which ultimately behave more like ceramics. They do not
become bone nor do they act like real bone. In essence, they will not result impact trauma and will fracture. They work well on the skull and face where the risk of impact injuries are fairly low but also have the benefit of being covered by thick well-vascularized soft tissue over relatively smooth convex surfaces. On the chest for small or minor amounts of pectus excavatum, I think they are fine because the surface area being covered is small. But when trying to use them to cover larger sternal/rib areas in more substantial pectus excavatums, the material is more exposed to the potential for fracture. In short, they should not be considered for use for chest volume restoration because that is beyond their potential for long-term success.It is possible that the lower end of the pectus excavatum could be treated with hydroxyapatite cement and then injectable fat grafting for the other larger areas of the chest deficiency.
Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am a 52 year-old female and am interested in reshaping my chin. I have always been bothered a bit by the squareness of my chin which is a bit unfeminine.with aging But now that I have developed some jowling, it makes my face look more square. I want to get my chin reshaped to a more narrow appearance and then have a facelift afterwards. How would this be done and how far apart should the chin reshaping and facelift be? I have attached some pictures and have done a ‘homemade’ facelift by pulling up on my skin so you can see the squareness of the chin better.

A: Thank you for sending your photos. Your homemade facelift shows the exact location of the squareness of your chin. Now that I know the location of bony excess, that would be best reduced by an intraoral approach given that it is fairly anterior. It would be reshaped by a saw technique, taking off the wings of the chin.  I have done an image showing its reduction result, more can be done but this is a good starting point for discussion. Given its very anterior location and away from the plane of dissection of a facelift, I see no reason why the two procedures could not be done at the same time. The distal tightening effect of the facelift would help any soft tissue slack/swelling that would occur from the chin ostectomy/reshaping.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am 29 and I had received 8 laser sessions under eyes for dark circles in which 2 were on full face. The skin subsequently turned saggy and became fatless under eyes and temple area. I waited 9 months but the skin did not improve. In fact, it became worse with time. I gone through two sessions of fat grafting now in the last six months, of which the last one was two months ago. My skin quality improved somewhat. In my case, little fat actually stayed and most of the grafted fat got reabsorbed. I have learnt with time I have to go through one or two more sessions to get better skin. Each time I was given about 10 to 15cc of fat under and near eye area. I did gentle massage after fat grafting to avoid lumps. But I now know that I will need a total of three or more grafting sessions to get a satisfactory result.

A: This is not the first time I have been told of someone receiving IPL (not laser) treatments with a large number of treatment sessions who subsequently had fat atrophy over the treated areas. The only restorative therapy for this facial fat loss problem is fat grafting as it provides autologous tissue and cells. But your story also shows that fat grafting is far from a perfect treatment as it can have very unpredictable survival. One has to be prepared to undergo multiple fat grafting sessions if needed, spaced about three or six months apart depending upon the response seen.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in getting silicone oil injections in my buttocks and hips. I want 1400 to 1600cc. I’m not sure which one yet though, but I would love if you gave me an estimate on pricing so I can be aware of how much money I would actually need. This would be my first time getting the injections. With that being said I need to know the pros and cons of the injections.  I know some doctors won’t use silicone so, if not, can Artefill be injected in the buttocks instead?

A: I do not do silicone oil injections for buttock augmentation. They are not only illegal from an FDA regulatory standpoint but are unsafe as well for large volume augmentation. Silicone oil and may other injected substances in the buttocks have clearly been shown to cause a lot of potential problems from foreign-body reactions, hardening and infections.

Although Artefill is an FDA-approved material for facial injection, its use in the buttocks would be off-label and ill-advised. Aside from the unknown tissue reactions that may occur from a large volume injectate in an unstudied tissue site, it is economically impractical. At $800/1cc syringe, you can quickly see that using 1400cc to 1600cc would cost over $1,000,000 just for the material alone.

The only safe and large volume material that can be injected into the buttocks is your own fat. While how well fat survives after being injected is variable, it has the advantage of being the most economical method of natural non-implant buttock augmentation.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had breast augmentation using silicone gel implants one month ago. The implants were placed through an incision underneath. Ever since surgery, my left has an indentation about halfway up from the bottom. It is an actual deep crease and it looks like two bulges. The other breast is perfectly smooth. My surgeon said it should go away and, if not, I will need another surgery to fix it. (ugh!) Can you explain to me why this happened?

A: The ‘double bubble’ problem after breast augmentation is not a rare phenomenon. It is the result of changing or lowering one’s existing inframammary or lower breast fold. This is often necessary to accommodate the size of a breast implant and to prevent too high of an implant position, resulting in excessive upper breast pole fullness.

What many women do not realize is that much of the work or volume addition that a breast implant does involves expansion of the lower pole and sides of the breast. While every breast is different, about 1/2 to 2/3s of breast size increase involves these breast areas. These means that the breast base size in a vertical dimension must change. When the breast is smaller, the inframammary fold or crease is higher because the existing volume only needs a certain amount of skin between the nipple and the fold to accommodate it. When an implant is added that dramatically changes the volume, not all is just needs to be pushed outward. Some of that volume needs to expand the breast mound lower. For this reason, the augmented breast may require dropping the position of that fold.

Because the inframammary fold has been in its present position for years, the skin has an indentation or crease in its basic structure. When the fold is lowered to accommodate an implant, that crease can take some time to relax and go away. In many cases it will but in others it will not…thus creating the double bubble problem. This is why plastic surgeons do not like to drop the lower breast fold unless they absolutely have no choice but to do so.

If the double bubble problem fails to resolve itself by three months to six months after surgery, then it will require a surgical procedure for correction. This involves tacking back down the fold into its original position and raising the implant slightly.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley,  I am investigating the possibility of narrowing my wide chin. I am 55 years old and have noticed the characteristic age-related lower face widening as a result of the increasing tissue laxity. While I am planning a facelift within the next year or so, I think a narrower chin will look nicer, more feminine and less bony once I have the jowls tightened. I have the following questions.

1) Am I a candidate for the submental approach and would this involve just burring down the sides of my chin? (I think my profile is fine and don’t need an implant)
2)  Wait time after chin reduction before a lower facelift could be done. 
3)  Likelihood of complete resolution of any numbness?  And additional risks due to my age?

A: 1) I would have to see pictures to determine your candidacy for the procedure. But usually the submental approach is best due to better access to the bone with a minimal risk of any nerve injury. If side chin reduction is only needed, an ostectomy with a saw for narrowing would be the technique used.

2) If one has to stage it, the chin reduction would be done first with a minimum three month delay before the lower facelift. The two procedures could also be combined.

3) When done from below, the mental nerve is well visualized so permanent injury to it is unlikely. Simple stretching and elevation of the soft tissues off of the bone will likely cause some mild temporary numbness or none at all. Other than the age-independent risk of mental nerve neuropraxia, I can foresee no other significant risks other than achieving the desired chin shape.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I’ve been looking into a chin reduction for quite a few years now, but I have never gone through with it because I’ve always been afraid that the results would be terrifying. I read through your case studies on chin surgeries, and I must say it’s a relief to see someone with as much experience on the subject of chin surgery. Perhaps other Doctors have just as much experience or more, but it’s relieving to be able to read about it instead of them briefly talking about it. My main reason for wanting a chin reduction is because I feel that I look weird when I smile.The other goal is to ensure that the chin surgery doesn’t make me look like I’ve had surgery. I have attached pictures of me (non-smiling) from different angles for your assessment.

A: Thank you for sending your detailed non-animated facial photos. What they show is one of the more uncommon, but more favorable, types of chin hypertrophy. Your chin is distinctly large in one dimension, a central horizontal projection known as an enlarged central chin button. It is not long vertically nor is it too wide horizontally. The chin excess is relegated completely to the central chin pad. This type of chin excess is usually composed of a combination of bone and excess soft tissue. It can be reduced by a chin reduction procedure consisting of shaving down the bone and reducing the soft tissue excess. It can be done from either an intraoral mucosal or submental skin incisional approach but coming from below allows a better management of the soft tissue excess.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, Hello. I am interested in fraxel CO2 laser surgery for skin resurfacing. I am 48 yrs old and have sun damage, wrinkles and some acne marks. I do not know if I would be a candidate for this procedure. I had a kidney/pancreas transplant almost 22 years ago after being a type I diabetic for 20 years. I am on cyclosporine, prednisone, imuran immunosuppressive medications daily. Please let me know if there are any risks. Thank you.

A: The risks of laser skin resurfacing on someone who is taking immunosuppressive medications is two-fold. First, most long-term immunosuppressed transplant patients develop skin thinning due to dermal atrophy. This can lead to increased depths of penetration (injury) of the laser not seen in immunocompetent patients. Therefore typical laser settings may be too deep in the immunosuppressed patient. There is no way to accurately predict the skin’s response to any depth/power setting of the laser. Secondly, as you know, your healing capabilities are diminished. Since the laser essentially creates a burn injury, the skin must be able to heal the expansive skin wound. In the immunocompromised patient this could be an understandable issue. One can partially overcome the delayed healing effects of steroids with pre-treatment high-dose vitamin A supplements, but that may not be enough to reverse the effects of the other medications.

While all of this sounds very pessimistic, it is fair to say that one has to be cautious about laser resurfacing with your medical history. Fractional laser resurfacing is better than completely ablative laser resurfacing because it only treats a portion or fraction of the skin’s surface, leaving areas of normal skin between the vertical columns of the fractional laser beams. The best way to approach whether you are a good candidate or not is to do a test patch area. Only treat a small area first and see what the healing response is.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have poland syndrome, dextrocardia and pectus excavatum. My left side chest is sunken because of pectus excavatum and heart is located on right side because of dextrocardia. I do not have any disabilities in my day to day activities but I’m not happy with the physical appearance of my chest. Also, since I got Poland syndrome the left side of my chest seems to be slightly smaller while compared to the  right side. I had undergone a plastic surgery procedure a few years ago in which my back muscle was transposed to fill the absence of pectoralis muscle but still the shape is not good. After going through your website I felt you could help me to get my left chest same to look more like my right. I have been analyzing various options and I came across the application of kryptonite in filling up the dent due to pectus excavatum so I thought the same procedure can also be used for my case. But still the muscle is absent which may need fat grafting from other parts of the body or adjustment of LD muscle further. Please find attached photos for your kind review. I request you to kindly advise me on your recommendations.

A: I have taken a look at your pictures and what I see is a lack of pectoral/chest volume on the left side and a typical high positioned nipple. I do think you would benefit by volume addition but I would not use bone cement. Besides the fact that Kryptonite is no longer commerically available, it would be very difficult to get it in the right place and have a smooth contour. The chest volume you are missing is much more than a cement can do anyway. I would use a modified pectoral silicone implant as you already have the LD muscle flap coverage for it. It could be inserted through the upper end of your midline abdominal scar. This would add volume without increasing scar burden. In addition, I would do an inferior crescent nipple lift to move it downward. This would not create complete horizontal nipple symmetry with the other side but would be helpful. Usually you can get about a cm. nipple movement. These would be two helpful manuevers to lessen your current degree of chest asymmetry.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have extreme burn scars on my face as I got burned with boiling oil when I was 2 years old. I am now 26 years old. I had skin grafting surgery back then but after these 23 years still there are scars which really destroys my appealing facial aesthetics. I’ve heard a lot about you. Please respond to my email. I have attached facial pics from different angle for you to see. Thanx.

A: From a burn/skin grafting scar standpoint, I not believe that you can make any significant improvement in their appearance. The old scars/skin grafts would have to be excised and regrafted and the likely outcome with that effort is from guaranteed to be better. With your dark skin pigment, I don’t envision that would be a substantial improvement. I do, however, see numerous other facial issues which can be improved. These include correction of the left lower eyelid retraction with a skin graft and lateral canthoplasty, left eyebrow reconstruction with hair transplants, left temporal/side burn alopecia camouflage with micropigmentation tattooing, and left lower lip retraction correction with release and skin grafting. I think correction of these four areas would be very beneficial with predictable improvement.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I would like to get liposuction for my heavy neck and jowls but am afraid of potential nerve injury causing a droopy mouth. I don’t want to run the risk of trading off one problem for another. But I just hate my profile. I want a more defined neck. At age 35, I should still have a younger looking neck with an angle not a full fat one wiithout one. What are the chances of nerve injury and how can it be avoided. If it is injured is it ever permanent?  Thank you

A: Like all surgeries, even relatively simple neck liposuction has risks. The potential nerve damage to which you refer that is in the area of submental and neck liposuction is that of the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve. This tiny single branched nerve supplies some movement to the lower lip, primarily being responsible for the depressor anguli oris muscle which creates downward lip movement. It crosses over the lower border of the jaw at the side the chin. It can potentially be traumatized if liposuction is done too far up around the jowl area where the nerve is. It can be avoided by not trying to be too aggressive with treating the jowl area and staying below the border of the jaw, confining the movement of the liposuction cannula to the neck area only. Even if the nerve is traumatized, the blunt cannulas will not cut the nerve but bruise it. This may cause some temporary weakness but almost never permanent paralysis.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have been researching your site. I am hoping to have breast reduction covered by insurance after the first of the year. I have a doctors appointmentt with my primary doctor next week to hopefully begin the process for this to covered by insurance. My question is that I would also like to have butt augmentation with fat transfer. Is it possible to have both surgeries at the same time?

A: It is possible to have both a breast reduction and buttock augmentation at the same time. From a recovery standpoint, it is really a combined breast reduction and abdominal and flank liposuction since the harvest for the buttock augmentation is from liposuctioned fat. I have done this exact combination of procedures a few times and patients have had no problems. As an aside, your primary care doctor can do little to help you get your breast reduction approved. Such as approval must emanate from a consultation with a plastic surgeon who will write a predetermination letter. Ultimately your insurance company will decide based on your weight, breast size and the amount of anticipated breast tissue removal.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I would like to know your opinion on what results a person can expect to achieve from perioral dermabrasion percentage wise.

A:  I assume that the basis of your question is how to best improve lip lines and creases around the mouth area from aging. There are numerous methods of skin resurfacing around the mouth, historically dermabrasion was used  and today it is different types of lasers. With dermabrasion (not to be confused with the more superficial treatment of microdermabrasion which would be completely ineffective for lip lines) hat answer would depend on the depth of the vertical lip lines one has and how thick the perioral skin is. There is a tricky balance with the aggressiveness of diamond wheel dermabrasion between getting a good result and causing scarring if one goes too deep. There is also risk with dermabrasion of creating irregular skin removal. This is why the use of lasers today, particularly fractional laser resurfacing, is a much more predictable. Consistent depth penentration because it is computer driven by the settings makes it less risky than dermabrasion. Dermabrasion can be a very effective treatment for lip wrinkles but it requires good operater experience and a lot of artistic skill for consistent results.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, how can I lengthen my short forehead? I know many people want to shorten a long forehead and bring the scalp forward but I can’t find anywhere about doing the reverse of that. My forehead is so low that I think it makes me look unusual and almost simian like. The distance between my eyebrows and hairline is only 4.5 cms.

A: A traditional coronal browlift will lengthen your forehead to some degree but with that increase will be a resultant elevation of the brows as well. The problem is that simple stretching of the skin will not necessarily make for more than 1/2 to 1 cm of forehead lengthening without changing your brow position. There simply is not enough skin to stretch to make an appreciable difference. The most successful treatment of the short forehead is a two-stage approach with a tissue expander placed first followed by a pretrichial browlift approach. This is the most assured method of lengthening the forehead skin and moving the hairline back without adverse brow alteration. This works because the tissue expander is placed in the forehead and creates more forehead skin. The undesired amount of low scalp hair is then removed and replaced by new forehead skin.  

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a medpor implant 3 years ago. I had a heavy infection 2 weeks after the surgery that cured by antibiotics. I have also had 2 more small infections during last 3 years which all happened in the right side of my implant. Now there is no infection. Finally after a CT the doctors noticed that the right side wing is too big and irritate my mouth tissue in that spot. Now you can see a tiny white spot there that doctors say that is my implant showing off!!! I do not want to remove it. I like the shape and I am totally afraid of removing it and having wait for 6 months to replace it. Is there any possibility of just fixing the right side by surgery and not removing it? I do not have access to my original surgeon who did it and I need to fix it with another doctor. Please help me!

A: You did not say what facial location was implanted. I will assume since you mentioned that it has sides that it is either cheek or jaw angle implants. Given that you are a female I will also assume that these are cheek implants. With both acute and chronic infections of the implant, and perhaps even a large size, the overlying soft tissue coverage of the implant has thinned resulting in implant exposure. Usually when this happens the fate of the current indwelling implant is sealed and the need to remove it likely. You wanting to keep the implants is understandable given your current investment into them. One option is to simply cut back the exposed portion of the implant sufficiently to allow soft tissue closure over it. In so doing you have to realize that healing over the implant is not assured and that the risk of failure with this approach is high. But you have little to lose by so doing other than the operative experience and cost and in some cases it may be successful. If this should fail then you have done all that is possible to salvage the exposed facial implant.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am a man that currently weighs around 320 lbs, am 6’2, and was wondering how much weight I could take safely off via liposuction. I am trying to lose weight and change my life around and I feel like this would give me a big mental boost and push me towards a healthier lifestyle. How much (ballpark estimate) would the full treatment cost? Thank you for your time.

A: While I do not have the advantage of seeing what your body looks like, one important general concept about liposuction is that it is not a weight reduction method. Liposuction is for body contouring of select areas for people who are at or close to a reasonable weight for their height. Patients should have a relatively normal BMI (body mass index) or at the least a non-obese BMI which is anything under 30. With your BMI of 41, you need to consider standard weight reduction  methods through medical approaches of diet, exercise and even supplemental medications. As a man you should also realize that much of your abdominal weight is visceral or intraperitoneal, an area in which liposuction can not treat even if it were attempted.  This is why the large stomach in many men feels hard like a watermelon. That is the fat pushing out the abdominal muscles from underneath, leaving a surprising limited of fat that could be removed between the skin and the muscles which is what liposuction can access.

In addition, you are looking at your weight problem in reverse. You first need to get a healthier lifestyle, lose some weight, and then consider liposuction to clean up any persistent fat areas. This is a strategy that will have longer term benefits and is also more likely to keep the weight off.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I’ve been reading on your website and found a lot of interesting information. I was looking at pictures for patients, but did not see any that resemble my condition. Do you have any with flat spots that have been filled out in the back of the head? From what I have gathered while reading your site, you can only build out up to 10 cm. I’m just trying to picture how a fix for my condition would look after. My head is normal except for the back and then it has a slope. However, the slope is not uniform. It’s less of degree on one side vs the other. So from the top down there is a slope in the back, but from left to right it is almost like it is angled. Meaning if you looked at me from the back, the right side is not as sloped as the left. In fact, the right side is a little more “normal” I guess. Thanks for your help and information.

A: The most common skull augmentation procedure that I do is an occipital cranioplasty for a flat spot on the back of the head. You are correct in assuming that the buildup would be about 10 to 12mm maximum. Much greater buildup than this may pose problems with incisional scalpclosure or undue tension on the wound which usually lies directly over it. Bony asymmetries are dealt with by a differential application of the material.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, Have you performed many/any superficial temporal artery procedures, either removals or ligations? I am considering this route to rid myself of the unsightly and anoying pulsation feeling. I am concerned about possible negative effects of tampering with an artery, especially one in the head. Thank you for any help or advice you may offer.

A: Improvement of a large and prominent superficial temporal artery can be successfully done. Patients may desire that the artery be diminished in size due to its appearance or from uncomfortable pulsations in it. Manipulation/ligation of the branches of the superficial temporal artery will have no negative effects on vascularization of the scalp and forehead. Thus I have seen no adverse effects from its manipulation other than some minor scars for entrance to the ligations. Generally, at least two small access incisions are needed, one in the temporal hairline and another in the forehead. The artery must be ligated from different areas since there are multiple backflow points into the artery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, my 18 year old son had his ears gauged several years ago to a size of about 2 1/2 inches. I have attached pictures as he is now. I was never for it but what can a parent do. He is now ready to have them fixed. I have Anthem insurance. How much would it cost and do you have payment options?

A: Thank you for sending your son’s picture. I have seen many gauged ears such as your son’s. Such earlobe reconstructions can be done very successfully and a normal sized earlobe, albeit with a fine line scar, canc be achieved as an office procedure done under loca; anesthesia. It would be important that the gauges are removed at least 6 weeks before earlobe reconstruction is done. That will allow the earlobe to shrink somewhat and get a better vascular supply to the remaining rim of earlobe skin for optimal healing after the procedure. These are not procedures covered by insurance since the origin of the problem is a cosmetic alteration not a medical one. The cost range is between $1500 to $2,000 for both earlobe repairs.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in making my forehead wider. I think it is too narrow for my face. My face has good features and dimensions but starting with my lower forehead it goes up into scalp like a triangle rather than having a forehead width that matches my lower facial width. I think it would look better of my forehead was wider and more prominent. Is this procedure possible and, if so, how is it done and what are the potential complications?

A:  Widening a forehead as you have described means expanding its bony contours. Traditional forehead augmentation is done through a scalp incision to build out the forehead with onlay cranioplasty materials but it usually lies on the bone within the edges of the anterior temporal lines. Building out or widening a forehead behind the temporal lines is problematic as that requires lifting up part of the temporalis muscle, which will can easily be done, but almost always results in muscle atrophy seen months later. This potentially can expose the edges of the built out area (cranioplasty material) if they are not perfectly smooth and may make a once smooth transition between the two become more noticeable. Some may refer to widening the forehead as augmentation of the temporal hollows, although that would not normally be considered part of the forehead.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q: Dr. Eppley,I have read that you are familiar with using platelet-rich plasma. (PRP) I have an unusual inquiry. In certain countries in Europe, they inject PRP into the nasal lining and sidewalls and turbinates to restore function and regrowth of the lining.  I can send the article and I was wondering if you could do this. They say it adds volume and helps the lining function better from prior surgery.

A:  I have read many ‘unconventional’ uses for PRP, but must admit that I am unfamiliar with its potential use in the nasal linings. As an autologous material, its use there would certainly be safe with no untoward effects. I could not attest, obviously, to its effectiveness for this use and would be happy to review any article that reports on it. Doing the procedure would be no different than any other PRP procedure using a 60cc blood draw from the patient. Centrifugation of the extract is then done to create an approximate 3cc concentrate of platelets.

Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana