Custom Forehead Implant

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am considering custom forehead implant but I have a huge concern. Is it possible for someone who underwent a forehead reduction in the past ((via coronal approach, anterior wall of the frontal sinus set back and brow bone shaved) to have their forehead restored as it used to be using a custom implant?

During surgery the surgeon also lifted the eyebrows by taking out a strip of skin from the coronal cut.  Will an implant be able to lower a bit the eyebrows (2 or 3 millimeters) as they were before?

Thanks a lot for reading this and I look forward to your answer.

A: The restoration of a forehead/brow bone shape that has been previously reduced/modified is not an impediment to secondary augmentation surgery with a custom forehead implant.  But replacing soft tissue that has been removed, however, is a different matter particularly in the face of underlying bony augmentation. Lowering the eyebrows in this situation would be viewed as impossible to do. An implant or any other surgical procedure is not going to drive the eyebrows to a lower position. To do so requires more soft tissue of the forehead not bone augmentation.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana