It is important for any person considering plastic surgery, including facial implants, to understand the risks and potential benefits involved. A person must also understand who does and does not make a good candidate for this procedure. The patient should also know what to anticipate in order to go into the procedure with reasonable expectations.

Potential Risks:

The risks involved with facial implants are not much different than the risks involved with other types of plastic surgery, and there are actually fewer risks than with other types of plastic surgery. The risks may include a small amount of scarring (depending on where the implant is located) and the risk of infection. The risk of infection is minimized through the use of antibiotics.

Facial implants also come with the risk of the implant moving, which requires additional surgery to correct the movement. This is generally not an issue. It can happen occasionally, but is usually easy for the surgeon to fix. Aside from some mild discomfort, this will likely not be painful; however, the surgery to correct it may be similar to the initial surgery.

Implants may also carry some risk depending on if general or local anesthetic and a sedative are used. There is always a risk involved with the use of general anesthetic. A patient’s doctor will discuss this risk with the patient and discuss which option would be best for that person.

Benefits:

There are many potential benefits of face implants. They can make a person’s face appear more symmetrical and attractive. It can enhance current features, making them more noticeable. Facial implants can also delay the need for a face lift by lifting some of the loose skin with the lift. Implants can make a person appear younger by restoring shape to areas that naturally lose shape as a person ages.

Candidates:

Any person who is of good physical and mental health is a potential candidate for face implants. This includes individuals who understand that all plastic surgery will not make them into a different person; it will simply enhance their current features. Individuals seeking to make their faces appear more symmetrical may be particularly suited for this surgery.

What to Expect:

A person who is getting a facial implant can expect certain things. First, the person can expect his or her doctor to inquire why the person wants implants and what result the person is expecting. It is important for a person’s expectations to be reasonable.

Next, surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis and generally a person will not need more than one week off of work. However, if multiple procedures are being performed at the same time, recovery time may be greater. The person will need a ride home after the procedure and the patient must watch for signs of infection and make sure to take the antibiotics prescribed by his or her doctor. Depending on where the surgery is performed, the patient may experience some facial numbness that will go away after a period of time.