Should I Have My Masseter Muscle Dehiscence Fixed Before or After Getting A New Jawline Implant?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had jawline implant removal in South Korea which caused masseter muscle dehiscence and I would like to have it corrected. I attached some pictures and would like to know if this can be done and how much it costs. Additionally, I might replace my implants and want to know if I should do this before or after the muscle correction procedure.

Please let me know.

A:The first concept to grasp about masseter muscle dehiscence is that you can not move the muscle back down over the bone. The muscle fibers have become shortened and fibrotic and basically are not going to move. However, the appearance of masseter muscle dehiscence can be improved by viewing and treating as a soft tissue contour problem through various augmentation methods. But this should not be attempted/done until you have made the decision to place a new implant or not. If a new implant is to inserted the jaw angle soft tissue problem can be treated thereafter.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon