Posterior Cheekbone Reduction

Q: Dr. Eppley, In Korea, there are few clinic that offers posterior cheekbone reduction with 5mm sideburn and cut inside the hair (the posterior cheekbone reduction.) Many clinic in Korea also do not offer this method of surgery.

What are the risks of this method of surgery as I am interested in making my face smaller? The clinics I have consultations with told me that there are many revision case because people can feel and see the broken arch bone at the hairline or there is non connection of bone. Is this true? What other risks??

A: Thank you for our inquiry. I have done many isolated posterior zygomatic arch osteotomies (posterior cheekbone reduction) to narrow the width of the face on the sides. (but leaving the anterior cheek bone alone) I have not yet seen the complications which has been told to you such as bone edge visibility or palpability. By definition with plate fixation there is a non-connection to the bone but that is irrelevant as the bone is stabilized and there is always a non-connection of the bones no matter whether it is done in isolation or with anterior cheekbone reduction osteotomies.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana