Can you help with temporal bulge and depression correction after cranioplasty? (Photos)

Question

I had a cranioplasty in Mar 2019 after a fall, then a shunt fitted Nov 2020 to correct post-surgical subgaleal fluid collection. All resolved well now, but I am left with a temporal muscle bulge and depression which I would like to be corrected. Also there is a slight depression on my forehead where the skull and implant join together and slightly lowered right eyebrow which I would like corrected too. I am 47 year old healthy male, prepared to travel for the right surgeon who can help me.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

What you have is very common after a temporal craniotomy. Even though the bone flap has been fitted back to the surrounding bone, the elevated temporal muscle is now contracted and scarred down (hence the bulge above the zygomatic arch) and there is a an even bone contour across the side of the forehead. Correction of the forehead bone contour is straightforward and can be smoothed over with bone cement. The loss of the temporal fullness and the lower muscle bulge is more challenging. It is not possible to unstretch the contracted muscle even though that is the origin of the temporal contour issues. Bone cement would need to be used to fill in the temporal depression and the lower bulge would need to be thinned out. The right lower eyebrow is likely due to a weakness of the frontal branch of the facial nerve which is probably permanent at this point. But it can also be created by the loss of support form the temporal depression. It may be likely that the augmentation of the temporal muscle and bone depressions would create some lift to improve the brow asymmetry.

Can you help with temporal bulge and depression correction after cranioplasty? (Photos)

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Can you help with temporal bulge and depression correction after cranioplasty? (Photos)

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Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.