Purpose

The cranio-facial skeleton is augmented to correct deficiencies resulting from congenital, surgical or traumatic reasons. The technique can equally be applied to produce intended changes in the face in a normal person. The ultimate aim is to enhance symmetry and harmony.

Details

Deficiencies in the face can be due to soft tissue or skeletal defects. One simple way to correct such deficiencies is the use of facial implants.

Facial augmentation may be achieved with the use of autogenous (from the patient) materials such as fat, bone or cartilage grafts. More often the term facial implants refers to the use of synthetic (allogenic) materials some commonly used of which include PTFE, silicone, Medpor and hydroxyapatite.

Commercially available implants come in various ready made shapes for filling up various parts of the face such as the forehead, the temples, the orbital ridges, the malar bone, the mandibular body, the mandibular angle and the chin.

In unilateral situations, tailor made implants are better in restoring symmetry and can be specially ordered where CT data is available.

Insertion of implants is often done via incisions inside the mouth or within the hairline so that there won't be resultant conspicuous scars on the face.

Caution

Where allogenic materials are used, the inherent risks of infection, erosion and exposure are present.