Will My Paranasal Implants Need To Be Removed For A LeFort I Osteotomy?

Q:  I had Medpor implants placed in the paranasal area several years ago in 2007. It appears that I will be undergoing a LeFort I osteotomy in future. I was wondering whether these implants need to be removed for this procedure and how difficult is it to do so?

A:  Paranasal implants are placed around the curve of the pyriform aperture to add fullness under the nostril base of the nose. They help push out the base of the nostrils and are most commonly used to augment a midface deficiency. They are made out of different materials of which Medpor is one of them. This porous material does allow for tissue ingrowth which makes it more difficult to remove than that of silicone, for example. But they can still be removed without a lot of tissue destruction to do so.

A LeFort I osteotomy makes a bone cut directly across the pyriform aperture area. Advancing the upper jaw at this level creates midface fullness, particularly in the paranasal and anterior nasal spine area. (base of the nose) It would be absolutely necessary to remove paranasal implants when performing this procedure. The fullness created by moving the upper jaw at this level makes the need for paranasal implants after bone repositioning as irrelevant.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana