What are facial implants?
Facial implants are prostheses or solid and voluminous pieces that are used to modify the size of different areas of the face and thus harmonize the features. The most common are facial implants of the chin, cheekbones, lips, jaw, forehead and the groove above the upper lip.
There are many types of implants available in different materials, from wax or ivory to plastic materials. They are usually implanted under general anesthesia, although depending on the case, local anesthesia alone or combined with sedation may be used.
Why are they performed?
Facial implants are used in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery both to improve the proportion and harmony of the face and to correct disfigurements and congenital malformations, or to rehabilitate or replace structures and parts of the face disfigured by trauma, injury or accident.
Specifically, craniofacial implants used in maxillofacial and reconstructive surgery are inserted in the required area for applications such as: straightening the structure or line of the jaw, which can also lead to chewing problems; improving bone anchorage, for example to bring forward the chin or cheekbones; providing more harmony to the cheek area; replacing a disfigured part of the face, etc. Depending on the objective to be achieved with facial implants and the complexity of the case, a combination of implants and prostheses may be necessary to reconstruct the affected area.
To a lesser extent, these implants can also be used to conceal wrinkles, acne scars and other skin imperfections.
Facial implants are often used to compensate the volume of some areas of the face and thus harmonize the features.
What does it consist of?
Facial implant surgery must be performed in a hospital or specialized clinic, usually under general anesthesia.
The surgical procedure varies depending on the area to be treated: for example, for chin and jaw implants, the surgeon performs an incision in the mouth or under the chin to insert the implants, as well as the incision under the cheeks for cheek implants.
It is an outpatient surgery lasting approximately 1 hour, which allows the patient to be discharged and go home within a few hours.
Preparation for facial implants
It is an outpatient surgery, but since it is performed under general anesthesia, the patient must follow the relevant instructions of the specialist about fasting or what food and beverages can be consumed. The patient should also inform the specialist if he/she smokes and if he/she has dental or gum problems, since they may pose a risk for the operation.
It is important that the patient has a companion for the return home after the operation.
Care after the operation
After the facial implants operation it is usual that bruises and swelling appear in the treated area, which disappear after several weeks. Although the patient can go home a few hours after surgery and return to work after a week, the swelling disappears completely by the fourth or sixth month, showing the definitive result.
After surgery you should not drink alcohol, and anitbiotics will be administered to prevent infection. It is recommended to avoid contact sports or activities with risk of blows during the first weeks.
Alternatives to this treatment
The greatest advance in facial implants has been the material from which they are made. Thus, they started being made of wax or ivory, they were also made with plastic materials and currently, there are facial implants with biocompatible materials such as collagen and hyaluronic acid derivatives.
These implants are reabsorbable and therefore, the result is not permanent, but after approximately 12 to 18 months, the organism reabsorbs it and it disappears. It is an alternative for those who want to improve the harmony of their face but do not want the implant to be permanent, since the shape of the face and skin also varies with advancing age.