Question:
What is the risk with facial implants that the body would react by attacking the implant as if it is a foreign substance?

Answer:
There is really virtually no risk that your body would attack the implant as long as the implant is made of a biocompatible material such as firm silicone.  Essentially silicone is a very inert substance that does not create any sort of inflammatory response by the body of any significance and really the only thing that occurs with the implant is that due to the fact that there was trauma to the body creating a space for the implant during the healing phase there is a thin, fibrous capsule that forms around the implant during the healing phase; otherwise, there is very little reaction that the body has to the actual implant material itself. 

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Question: I have malar bags and would like to know if this is something that can be improved with a facelift.

Answer: Malar bags will not be improved at all by standard facelift techniques.  There are, however, very advanced facelift and eye lift techniques or a combination of facelift and eye lift techniques where the midface is lifted at the same time as either the face and/or the eye lift and these more advanced and sophisticated techniques can frequently improve upon malar bags though even with these advanced techniques it can still be a difficult problem to completely eradicate.

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Question: Are intraoral incisions for facial implants risky because of the possibility of infection?

Answer: There certainly is a very small risk of an infection while placing an implant through the mouth, but we do tend to take as many precautions as we can to prevent this.  For chin implants I actually do prefer an incision under the chin since it is easily hidden and then provides for a completely sterile procedure.  The malar implants, however, are typically inserted through the mouth simply because it is the easiest access point to the cheek that will not leave any sort of significant scar.  I typically soak the implant in antibiotic solution and frequently will even irrigate up into the pocket with antibiotic solution prior to closing the incision and this significant minimizes the risk of infection and makes them extremely unlikely. 

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Question: After my gastric bypass surgery, I lost a significant amount of weight. My face looks very empty and my skin is very loose. What types of facial surgeries would give me a fuller face and more youthful look?

Answer: Patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery and significant weight loss still benefit from surgical procedures that are very similar to those who require rejuvenation surgery.  In essence, we are going to provide elevation to loose and sagging tissue and we will also volumize the face with fat grafting and/or facial implants.  Just as in rejuvenation surgeries, these need to be highly customized so that we create a very natural look and yet restore the patient’s appearance.  

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Question: I’ve been contemplating getting a chin implant. I’d like to know what sorts of complications are associated with this surgery and how common they are.

Answer: Possible complications from a chin implant include permanent numbness of the chin, temporary numbness of the chin, infection requiring removal of the implant, and malposition of the implant meaning that the implant is not in the right position. Furthermore, if the wrong implant is selected, the overall shape of the chin may not be as desired. Overall though, these complications are exceptionally rare and the far, far, far majority of patients get an excellent result with very little downtime.

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