Your Questions
Your Questions
Q: Does Dr. Eppley perform non-surgical rhinoplasty? If so, how many has he done and what does it cost?
A: I have performed non-surgical rhinoplasty, otherwise known as using an injectable rhinoplasty. It is about using an injectable filler most commonly in the upper part of the nose (radix) to treat (hide) a hump. I have done that office procedure numerous times. It is only good to fill the bridge area above a hump to make it smooth. In a few other cases, I have used injectable fillers for small areas of fill-in for dents and asymmetries in other parts of the nose. But you can’t do a complete rhinoplasty or even a partial rhinoplasty in a non-surgical fashion. So the concept of an injectable rhinoplasty is for filling in small defects in the nose. It is also important to realize that these effect are temporary (one year or less) and not permanent.
I would have to see pictures of your nose to determine if this procedure is for you. If so, the usual injectable filler used is Radiesse because it lasts the longest although other fillers can be used. (e.g., Juvederm)The cost of the procedure is based on how much filler is used and what type. It could range anywhere from $350 to $850 depending on those factors.
Another form of injectable rhinoplasty is that using diced cartilage. While it does require a septal graft harvest, the cartilage is diced and injected through small syringes from an incision inside the nose. This injectable rhinoplasty procedure does require an anesthetic to perform and so it is better called a minimally-invasive rhinoplasty.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis Indiana
Q: I have a very asymmetrical jawline and am thinking about having a custom implant formed to the side of my jaw with the deficiency. For the rest of my face, I am hoping to achieve a balanced look, trying to get the best of both sides of my face, without exactly mirroring either side. One side is overly large, the other side is overly small. Both sides are appealing but different, except for the major sallowness to my face in my cheek area due to the smaller jawbone. I only want to have that filled in.
I was hoping to being treated with Radiesse or a facial filler to help even out the side with the deficiency without going through a drastic implant that might take away some of what I like about my face or compromising the way my muscle system has developed. Would it be a possibility to achieve some balance as a short term option?
A: One of the best benefits to injectable fillers is their immediate volume adding effects without having to undergo surgery to get it. For the soft tissue zone below the cheek bones but above the jaw line, only a filler material can add volume. This is not a facial area where a synthetic implant can be effective, there is no underlying bone to push off of.
The downside to facial fillers is that they do not last. And most will not last as long as the manufacturers claim in my experience. For this submalar facial area, good choices can be Juvaderm or Radiesse. One can expect about six to eight months of added volume before it dissipates.
Indianapolis, Indiana