Full cheeks are a sign of youthfulness and beauty. As we age, our faces lose fat making the cheeks to sag and have a sunken-in appearance. Cheek implants can, however, restore the youthfulness of your face. At our Chicago metro facility, Body by Bloch, we help patients who have lost cheek volume by recommending cheek implants among other cheek augmentation procedures. If you need help with your flat or recessed cheeks, you can book a consultation by calling 1-847-686-3183 or going towww.bodybybloch.com and filling out the form.
In preparing for facial implants, you may be asked to:
Facial implant surgery may be performed in an accredited office-based surgical facility, licensed ambulatory surgical center or a hospital. If your procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, be sure to arrange for someone to drive you to and from surgery and to stay with you for at least the first night following surgery.
How are cheek implants placed?
Before we place cheek implants, we will give you general or local anesthesia with sedation to relax you. Next, I will make inconspicuous incisions inside your mouth just above your gums through which the implants will be placed. If you are receiving other facial procedures like eyelid surgery or brow lift, I may use the same incisions for those procedures to place your cheek implants. This will reduce scarring. After positioning the implants, I normally use micro tiny screws to hold them in place and give you a more natural three-dimensional look. The implants can also be removed easily if you don’t like them. The procedure takes about 30 minutes for both cheek sides.
Cheek implants complications and risks
Though rare in occurrence, cheek implants complications can happen. Initially, there is the risk of an adverse reaction to the anesthesia used in the cheek surgery procedure. A correlation exists between anesthesia complications and the use of tobacco, antidepressants, and various other substances. For this reason, disclosure of any substance use to the surgeon prior to surgery is very important.
Post-surgery cheek implants complications may include infection, which is usually treatable with antibiotics. Misplacement of a cheek implant can result in shifting that causes asymmetry, sometimes necessitating a second procedure to realign the implant. If you are considering cheek implants and you’d like to reduce the chance of post-surgical complications, the best course of action is to take care when choosing a plastic surgeon.
How is the recovery after getting cheek implants?
After placement of cheek implants, we will provide you with pain pills and antibiotics before we discharge you from our facility. Some post-operative instructions that I issue include wearing compression garments, eating soft diets for about ten days, sleeping with your head elevated and maintaining the right level of activity. You can resume work after about a week and perform vigorous activities after 4 to 6 weeks. I highly recommend observing aftercare visits for removal of stitches within ten days and evaluation of your general recovery.
