Every plastic surgery procedure has numerous issues that every patient who is undergoing a procedure should know. These explanations are always on a consent form that you should read in detail before surgery. This consent form, while many perceive as strictly a legal protection for the doctor, is actually more intended to improve the understanding of temporal implant augmentation. The following is what Dr. Eppley discusses with his patients for this procedure. This list includes many, but not all,of the different outcomes from surgery. It should generate both a better understanding of the procedure and should answer any remaining questions that one would have.
ALTERNATIVES
Alternatives for improving the appearance of a depressed or hollowed temporal area include synthetic injectable fillers, fat injections, or augmentation using a variety of bone cements.
GOALS
The goal of temporal augmentation is to improve its appearance from a hollowed (concave) profile to a flatter one. In rare cases, the patient may even have a more convex profile if they desire.
LIMITATIONS
The limitations of temporal augmentation with implants is the size and shape of the implanted material. The thickness of the implant and its height and length determine how much augmentation is achieved.
EXPECTED OUTCOME
Expected outcomes include the following: temporary swelling and bruising around the temples and eyes, temporary numbness of the overlying temporal skin, and four to six weeks after surgery to see the final temporal shape.
RISKS
Significant complications from temporal implants are extremely rare. More likely risks include infection, permanent temporal hairline scars, overcorrection or undercorrection of the temporal profile, and implant/augmentation asymmetry. Any of these risks may require revisional surgery for improvement.
ADDITIONAL SURGERY
Should additional surgery be required for temporal implant revision and/or replacement, this will generate additional costs.