Custom Occipital Skull Implant

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have few more question since our last conversation related to custom silicone implant for back of the head augmentation.

It’s not urgent so please reply when you have some free time.

1. When the silicone implant is placed on the back of the head is there some bone erosion or bone resorption due to applied pressure to implant like in chin implants?

2. Edge of silicone implant is going to be very thin, but is there going to be any capsule formation and hardness around implant? Can it be felt with fingers?

3. How the the implant is going to be sterilized? I know that implant is sterilized by manufacturer, but is it sterilized in some way one more time before insertion?

4. Are silicone implants safer or unsafer than HDR and PEEK implants (or there is no difference) and is there some difference in how the body is reacting to theme?

5. If its need to be removed, does the scalp shrink normally?

6. The use of silicone implant for back of head augmentation is approved by FDA (Food and Drug Administration)?

7. Which company you are using for implant manufacturing (you already told me but i forget)?

A: In answer to your questions about a custom occipital skull implant:

Bone erosion or implant settling is not a phenomenon I have seen in skull implants.
All implants in the body get a surrounding capsule or layer of scar tissue. This is normal and is not the source of a palpable implant edge. The only method to reduce that risk is a feather edge to the implant which is done in the implant design.
The manufacturer sends the implant already sterilized.
All FDA-approved skull implant materials are similarly safe. One material is not ‘safer’; than another one.
All soft tissues contract when they are ‘devolumized’ when an implant is removed. Whether it will completely return to normal depends on the size of the implant and how long it has been in place.
All custom made silicone skull implants are FDA-approved.
Implantech

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana