Paranasal Implant Revision

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in paranasal implant revision. I had Medpor paranasal implants placed one year ago. My surgeon told me that it is an implat on each side of the nose.I also had an open rhinoplasty at the same time.

Here are comparison pictures I took around 2 weeks after my surgery last year in June (I was extremely happy with the results) and around a month ago. The lighting is different and I put on around 5 pounds but I feel like since the swelling went down, I actually find the results less optimal (especially the fact that my nose still looks a bit droopy like before surgery and the nasolabial folds came back more than I would have liked)

A: Thank you for sending your pictures and detailing your surgical history. It is not rare that the facial fullness caused by midface implants early after surgery is very appealing due to its wider overall effect. But when the swelling goes down the effect is much less. I don’t know the premise for why you had paranasal implants but the treatment for nasolabial folds would not be one of them. Their primary purpose is to bring out the base of the nose which can have some slight improvement of the triangular fossa at the top of the fold next to the nose. But that effect will usually be very modest. Whether a more profound midface effect could be obtained by paranasal implant revision with a different implant design or size depends on knowing the exact paranasal implants you have in now. If they are Medpor paranasal implants they only come in one size although they may have been modified in surgery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana