How Can My Orbital Rim Implants Be Made To Look More Natural?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I would like to know if the implants that you use to replenish the infraorbital eyelids are the same used for the cheeks or are this special for this area? Last year I had put some implants under my eye this were the regular implants for the cheek but the doctor cut them to reduce them. My problem is that my skin is very thin under the eye and the implant shows the edges and feels hard so it looks and feels unnatural. Please tell me if there is a remedy. Maybe the implants you use look more natural.

A: One of the important issues with infraorbital rim implants is their positioning along the inferior orbital rim. Depending upon the aesthetic purpose, they may be used to provide more horizontal projection to the bony rim but still stay below the edge of the bone or they may be used to treat under eye hollows and are raised above the level of the bony rim. Depending upon their size and shape of the implant there is the risk of palpability of the implant edge. More uncommonly there is also the potential for actually being able to see the implant edge through the thin skin of the lower eyelid. I don’t know what type of implants you had placed (Medpor vs silicone) or exactly where on the bone they are located. If standard cheek implants were used and then modified for the infraorbital rim area, it would be unlikely they would have perfectly smooth edges. Based on just your question alone, the remedy may be to have implants that are actually made for that facial bony area.

It would be helpful to have some more information, such as a picture of you showing exactly where the edge of the orbital rim implants are that you feel.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana