Will my Existing Cheek Implant Affect a Mid Face Lift?

Having cheek implants should not affect having a midface lift. Generally, a face lift with muscle repair (SMAS and Platysma) corrects the neck, jawline, and midface. In your question, you note that you had lower face lift 3 years ago. A lower facelift is a procedure which concentrates on the neck and jawline with only a slight improvement of the cheeks. Without photographs, it is difficult to make recommendation, but you may need to have the upper portion of the facelift completed. Especially important would be correction of the muscles (SMAS) layer for long lasting results. I would recommend a consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who is well versed with face and cheek lifts, midface lifts and cheek implants.

Best regards, Andrew Lyos, MD, FACS

Hello opalI would advice you schedule a consultation wit a board certified plastic surgeon for physical examination.

Usually there is no issue with an existing cheek implant.
Often we place LiveFill to blunt the appearance of the cheek implant, to soften the face during the cheeklift, especially if the cheek implant has become visible or we anticipate it might become visible.
We also assess for the placement and appearance of the cheek implant; is there excessive submalar projection causing an prematurely aged appearance? Is the implant the right size and shape?
But short answer we can usually work around the implant.

It is unlikely the existence of a malar implant would preclude or make it more difficult for you to have a mid-face lift.  The soft tissue overlying the implant should be mobile enough to create the lift you want.  Either through a lower blepharoplasty incision or through a preauricular (in front of the ear) incision would work.

In general, a cheek implant would not affect a midface lift.  In fact, sometimes the extra cheek projection from the implant is helpful.

The short answer is that existing cheek implants will not make it more difficult to have a cheek lift unless you have a significant amount of scar tissue. However, since you have recently had a facelift and cheek implants, my hunch is that you do not need a midface lift. Probably you just need some fat injected to the upper cheek area to soften the implants and give you more fullness in the upper portion of the midface.
I routinely do both midface lifts and fat transfer surgery. Fat transfer is a less invasive, less risky, and less costly procedure than midface lift surgery. Something to think about... You can email me photos if you want a preliminary opinon. info@drhoenig.com.

It depends on how the procedure is done.  I do my midface lifts by releasing the facial tissues of the cheek from the upper jaw bone (the maxilla) and then pulling the tissues up and securing them with a fixation device that dissolves over 6 months.  In this case, the cheek implants would be RIGHT THERE on the maxilla.  If the implants were secure on the bone, they might not be disrupted but if they were not secure, they would be.  Make sure your surgeon knows you have cheek implants.  I love surprises but NO IN THE OPERATING ROOM. 

Lisa Lynn Sowder, M.D.

The presence of cheek implants will not interfer with a cheek lift. Cheek implants do not stop facial aging. I've had patients in whom I had placed implants for lack of cheek definition return years later to have a lift for facial rejuvenation after experiencing the effects of facial aging. With minor modifications in technique, a nice result can be achieved.