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Recovery
- Results
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In our culture, prominent cheekbones are considered
a sign of beauty. Cheek (malar) implants can
correct what nature has not given, and the best
candidates for these implants are individuals
with long, narrow faces or short round faces
with flat cheeks. Faces that are asymmetrical
in the cheek area can also be corrected. Standard
preoperative instructions would include avoidance
of any agent, like aspirin, that reduces blood
clotting. This procedure can be performed on
an outpatient basis under local anesthesia with
sedation. Incisions are made either inside the
mouth, between the upper gum and cheek, or immediately
under the lower eyelids. The mouth incisions
are the most common practice, and the underlying
tissues are thus manipulated to create a pocket
over the cheekbone to receive a correctly sized
implant. This implant, like the chin model,
is fabricated from medically approved materials
and is inserted into the pocket. The surgeon
places very small sutures to close the incisions
until they are removed in about a week. The
external procedure involves placing a fine incision
directly under the lower eyelid, within a natural
crease to hide it. The implant is then placed
through this incision which is sutured. |
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Following
surgery, patients are prescribed antibiotics
and allowed to go home after several hours
of observation by the aftercare team. Numbness,
swelling and bruising are normally present,
and the latter two conditions can be controlled
to some degree by keeping the head slightly
elevated when reclining and by apply cold
packs. Chewing and normal oral hygiene may
cause some discomfort for about two weeks,
and the cheeks and surrounding area will feel
tight for a period of time.
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