What Happens During Cheek Augmentation Surgery

How Cheek Augmentation Surgery Is Done

1. Anesthesia Is Administered

   Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. Anesthesia for cheek augmentation surgery may be in the form of general anesthesia or a combination of local anesthesia and intravenous sedation. Your surgeon will recommend the best choice for you.

2. Incisions Are Made

   Cheek implant surgery incisions are often placed inside the mouth, but a lower eyelid incision can also be used, particularly if you are undergoing a lower eye lift at the same time. Similarly, if a brow lift or face lift is being performed, your implants may be inserted through the incisions used for those procedures.

3. Cheek Implants Are Inserted and Positioned Underneath the Skin

   After your surgeon makes the incisions, the implants are inserted and placed precisely to give the best and most natural aesthetic result. Your surgeon may sit you upright on the operating table to examine your appearance before fixing the implants in place. This step helps to ensure good placement and symmetry.

4. Cheek Implants Are Fixed in Place

   Solid implants (such as silicone implants) are secured in place either by attaching them to soft tissue or bone with sutures or screws, or by creating a very close-fitting “pocket” of tissue around the implant which holds the implant in its desired position. Porous implants (like Medpor) are secured in place via a process by which the patient’s natural tissue grows into the pores of the implants.

5. Incisions Are Closed

   Incisions are closed with sutures. In most cases, no bandages or dressings are needed. Some sutures (like those inside the mouth) will dissolve on their own after a few weeks. Others may need to be removed by your doctor at a follow-up visit in 4 to 10 days.

6. Post-Op Care and Instructions

   After surgery, you will be taken to a recovery area where you will be monitored by surgical staff. Cheek augmentation surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis, although in some cases an overnight hospital stay may be recommended. After surgery, it is best to have someone stay with you for the first 24 hours.

   If your incisions were placed in the mouth, you will be restricted to a soft diet for a few days following surgery, and will need to rinse your mouth after eating to keep the sutures clean. If incisions were through your eyelid, you will be instructed on how to rest your eyes, using lubricants to prevent dryness during healing.

More Information About Cheek Augmentation Surgery

Find out more about costs, risks, and other things you should consider before undergoing cheek augmentation surgery.

See plastic surgery before and after photos.

_Sources:

_{Cheek Augmentation Surgery, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery; http://www.surgery.org/public/procedures/cheek_augmentation}

_{Facial Implants, American Society of Plastic Surgeons; http://www.plasticsurgery.org/Patients_and_Consumers/Procedures/Cosmetic_Procedures/Facial_Implants.html}