Cheek Dimple Reversal

Q: Dr. Eppley, I read one of your posts about reversing cheek dimple surgery and I would like to set up a consultation with you. I had cheek dimple surgery on my left smile groove about 2 years ago. The day after the surgery I knew it was a mistake and asked the surgeon to undo the dimple. He loosened the suture but since then the dimple is still there. It was suggested that I do a subcision and I have had a total of 3 subcisions in the same area but now I have a donut-like shape to it whenever I smile. I also have a hard bump underneath the dimple that may be contributing to the donut-shape (I’m thinking this may be scar tissue from the subcision). I would like to fix the donut shape and to get my natural face back. Would this be something you would do in your office? 

A: Most cheek simple surgery procedures have the problem of being unable to sustain their effect and the result is less than some patients want. Your problem is unusual in my experience in that a cheek dimple surgery undone the next day has resulted in a permanent indentation. Subcision early after the procedure was certainly a reasonable approach. But now at two years after the procedure, it is going to take more than that to create improvement in the cheek indentation. Your cheek dimple reversal surgery is going to require a fat graft either through injection or placement of a dermal-fat graft.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana