What Is The Best Material For Temporal Implants?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I really like what you have done for my temporal augmentation. But I had read some bad reviews on silicone implants. Would you be able to do Gore-tex implants instead? I am weary of silicone…

A: I have no concerns about silicone facial implants and I don’t know where those ‘bad reviews’ come from. Your body doesn’t care if it is silicone, gore-tex or any other material, it treats them all the same…as a foreign body which is enveloped by a layer of scar tissue. (capsule) Any beliefs that the body treats one synthetic material different than another is not based on any known science of biomaterials.

That being said, it doesn’t make any difference to me what material a patient wants to use as long as it can do the job adequately. I almost always use silicone temporal implants because they are preformed, very soft and flexible and are the most economically efficient for the patient. I can certainly use Gore-tex but it will cost more because you have to buy a block of it and then hard carve out the implants during surgery. It is easy for me to do, it just costs more.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana