Cheekbone Reduction Outcome

Q: Dr. Eppley, I would like to ask are cheekbone reductions always bound to have some sort of sagging of the midface area or incur premature aging?I thought I had done enough research on zygoma reduction before deciding to undergo the procedure. I knew there would be risks or trade offs, but I didn’t know it would be this bad.The L-osteotomy surgery I had included a 4mm removal of bone on each side. My front and 45 degree cheekbone was not prominent. Only the lateral of my cheekbones was quite prominent, giving me a strange wide and manly face shape. Why is it that my front cheeks sagged so much after the surgery? 

A: When the whole cheek bone has been moved in, depending on the facial type, the risk of soft tissue sagging is a real one. That is whole skeletal support for the midfacial soft tissues, particularly the front part of the cheeks. By your own admission the front part of your cheekbones was fine but it was the back part (posterior zygomatic arch) that created the issue. Thus it would been better to just have the posterior arch osteotomies done with inward positioning as that would have caused no soft tissue sagging at all.

Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana