Cheek Implants 20 Years Post Are Shifting Upwards Slightly?

Question

I have had cheek implants for 20 years and love them but they are shifting very slightly upwards (especially right)into orbital area. The right one also hurts when I first wake up if I sleep on that side. I would like to have them removed and replaced with new ones. Is this a difficult procedure? My plastic surgeon does not want to do it. I would prefer to go a plastic surgeon that specializes in faces anyway (he does not).

Arnold W. Klein, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

As the fat descends beneath a cheek implant it makes the implant look quite peculiar.As I began to see this more and more both the patients as well as I were disturbed by the void that developed beneath cheek implants. I first employed bovine collagen with marginal results. I now employe Juvederm to correct these voids beneath the cheek implants with excellent results.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

I have and continue to perform many Cheek Augmentations using both fillers and Cheek Implants for over 20 years.  Cheek Implants become stable, if placed directly on top of the bone, after just 1 month.  It's very unusual for an implant to move or shift after that time unless there is some significant force applied directly to the implant causing the pocket to rupture.  The soreness, that you describe, is most likely the implant sitting near to the infra-orbital nerve on that side which is a sensory nerve to the loer eyelid area.  

	 Removing the implants and replacing them with another set of Cheek Implants shouldn't be a problem as long as they are not medpore which become integrated into the underlying cheek bone.  If they are silastic or Gore-tex, these can typically be exchanged in about 3-45 minutes through an incision on the inside of the mouth.  I do not let out of town, out of country Cheek Implant patients fly for 1 week following the surgery.  Hope this helps.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

It is extremely unusual for cheek implant to migrate 20 years after placement but I accept your observation. Having said that, the implants can be removed and then replaced or repositioned so you can achieve good cheek projection and proportion.

Cheek Implants 20 Years Post Are Shifting Upwards Slightly?

Answers (3)

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