With Custom Facial Implants Can I See What My New Face Would Like During The Design Process?

Q: Dr. Eppley, “Concerning the implant design process, glad to see previous implants are helpful to anticipate results, would pictures before my implants be helpful also? Its a few years/few pounds back admittedly.

I see 2 design rounds are built into the process, how does someone accurately give feedback on a 3D model knowing its under soft tissue? Is there a way to include corresponding images of my current face and implants so I can toggle between the differences of the new implant and what the new implant improves upon? That would be the best for me to visualize, would be pretty important for me to understand.”

A: In answer to your custom facial implant questions:

1) Pre-design imaging is always done to set the patient’s aesthetic goals. You have to know what you are aiming for when making an implant design.

2) 3D implant designing is not an exact science as no one can accurately predict what will or will not show through the overlying soft tissues. It is  NOT done by making a design and then painting the soft tissues over them to see what it will look like as that technology does not yet exist. That would be invaluable if it did exist and would take out all of the guess work and uncertainties of the process.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana