How Long Does It Take To See The Final Result From Infraorbital Rim Implants?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had infraorbital rim implants placed 6 weeks ago, and my cheeks (especially the right one) still looks pretty bloated. The thing is that I only had about 1.5mm-2mm of augmentation. Additionally the area below my eyes is still badly discolored (reddish, blue etc.) and it’s not noticeable improving day by day. My doctor tells me that the under eye area is very delicate and it takes a long time for the swelling/bruising to resolve. However, based on your posts it seems that most swelling should resolve by six weeks. So here are my questions: 

1) how long should it take for the bruising to resolve? At the rate I’m going now it feels like it’ll be months 

2) at six weeks am I in a position to accurately judge the outcome, or is there still a material amount of swelling that will go down? 

3) if I’m unhappy at the end, how long do I have to wait to get them taken out or replaced? 

4) will the recovery for taking them out be as long as the initial recovery? 

5) if I get them taken out, will the implants have created a pocket that will prevent my face from returning to how it was before? 

Thanks a lot

A: In answer to your infraorbital rim implant questions:

1) Whether the augmentation is 1mm or 5mms the amount of swelling and bruising will be the same.

2) It takes at least 3 months for all swelling and bruising to resolve in most cases. I would not pass any judgment on the aesthetic outcome until at least then.

3) If unhappy at three months out then you have the confidence to stay the effort was not worth it. You certainly don’t want to pull the plug before you really know what they look like and you have had time to adjust to them.

4) Recovery for removal or exchange of implants is always a lot easier than their placement….unless they are implants that have a high tissue adhesion. (e.g., Medpor)

5) It is fair to assume that any implanted site in the face or body is never going to return 100% to the way it was. It is only a question of how close to the preop state will it be.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana