Cheek reconstruction is a popular cosmetic procedure that can help restore volume and shape to the middle of the face. Cheek implants, also known as malar implants, are used to increase the projection of the malar regions and add volume to areas that may be recessed or flat. Chin implants can increase the size and projection of a small or recessed chin, while jaw implants increase the width of the lower third of the face. All of these procedures are performed under general anesthesia in a hospital or surgical center, usually on an outpatient basis.
The cost of cheek reconstruction varies depending on the type of procedure and the surgeon performing it. Cheekbone augmentation plastic surgery is used to add volume and definition to exhausted cheeks or cheeks that are not well defined. The average cost of cheekbone implants is only part of the total price; it does not include anesthesia, operating room, or other related expenses. At the time of the pre-operative consultation, the surgeon will educate the patient on various aspects of cheekbone implant surgery, including its approximate costs.
The specific cost of cheekbone implant procedures differs from surgeon to surgeon, and the average cost of cheekbone implants varies by geographical regions. Stein Plastic Surgery offers funding options to help patients make even easier decisions if they lack liquid funds to pay for the procedure or credit history. Other cheekbone implants, such as those made of hydroxyapatite, integrate with natural bone tissue and become part of the actual structure of the cheek. Sometimes, the surgeon may use an FDA-approved dermal filler, such as Juvederm, Radiesse, or Restylane, to improve the results of cheekbone augmentation cosmetic surgery.
Contraindications for cheekbone augmentation would include any active infections, bleeding disorders, wound healing disorders, or other medical conditions that would prevent patients from undergoing anesthesia or other cosmetic facial procedures. An advantage of fat grafting over cheek implants is that fat grafting does not require any synthetic or foreign material, as do both cheek implants and filler injections. A cheek implant is made of a synthetic material (usually a plastic, silicone, or rubber) that is inserted into facial soft tissues near or on top of the bone to add volume to the cheeks. The simplicity of cheek bone surgery and the relatively low cost of cheek implants make them an especially attractive cosmetic solution. Cheek augmentation should be performed by board-certified physicians who specialize in facial aesthetic procedures. Patients undergoing facial fat transfer to increase cheek volume will experience similar symptoms.
A disadvantage of cheek implants is that they are designed only for the central cheeks and extended areas of the lacrimal, and do not address other areas such as the temples or lower smile lines (puppet lines) at the same time. Cheek augmentation costs can vary widely from procedure to procedure, depending on what is being performed. In many cases, sagging double chin, deepening smile lines, or facial wrinkles are partially caused by loss of volume inside the cheeks, and procedures such as facelift or skin rejuvenation procedures may also need facial volume improvement with cheek augmentation in one of the ways described here. Cheek augmentation can be performed in adults of almost any age, depending on the patient's anatomy.
