Facial implants are an invaluable aid in aesthetic facial rejuvenation and structural changes as well as less frequently in facial reconstruction. Facial implants are most commonly perceived as preformed implants of various styles and sizes to augment areas like the cheeks, chin, jaw angles and nose. (off-the-shelf implants) Less commonly, blocks or sheets of various implant materials are available to carve or shape during surgery to make the desired implant. (semi-custom implants) The use of true custom-designed facial implants done from a patient’s 3D CT scan before surgery has emerged today as another viable and reasonably economic implant method. While once rarely done due to imaging and software design limitations as well as cost, it is now emerged as a much easier and economic implant method to do.
The custom design method for facial implants is truly amazing when visualized on a computer screen. The ability to create any shape and thickness of an implant and match the symmetry between facial sides, if needed, is impressive. But one limitation of computer designing implants is that it is done on an inanimate facial skeletal computer image that does not take into account the soft tissue cover…nor how such designed implants may be capable of being placed. Given that placing facial implants must be done in an inconspicuous and visible scar-free manner, being able to get a custom designed implant through the limitations of intraoral or discrete external facial incisions can be problematic.
Custom designing facial implants often allows larger and more encompassing implants to be created. But part of their design must take into consideration how they can be inserted and whether the overlying soft tissue cover will be adequate and still get the incision closed in a tension-free manner over it.
This issue is an important one where the input from the plastic surgeon based on their experience can help modify a custom designed facial implant to ensure it can be successful.
‘Any Size and Dimension of Facial Implants Cane Be Computer Designed, But That Does Not Always Mean It Will Be Made To Surgically Implanted Safely’
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana