I would like my face reshaped in what I think would be

Question:

I would like my face reshaped in what I think would be a fairly simple but dramatic way. I would like cheek implants to give some definition to my face and I would like to remove some fat from my cheeks at the same time. I have a very round face and I think would take away some of the roundness. If this can be done under local anesthesia, is the recovery time less? Would I be able to get back to work sooner?

Answer:

Placement of cheek implants and removal of a conservative amount of cheek fat would certainly help to change a rounded face into a more dramatically sculpted one. Although cheek implants and removal of facial fat can be performed under local anesthesia, I do not suggest this approach for a couple of reasons. Placement of cheek implants requires a fairly significant amount of surgical dissection into the face. The surgical procedure can be somewhat anxiety provoking without the use of IV sedation or general anesthesia. Regardless of the type of anesthesia that you have the recovery period from cheek implants and facial fat removal will be exactly the same. Your recovery will neither be easier or quicker if your cheek implants are placed under local anesthesia or with the use of IV sedation. I would suggest using IV sedation for this particular procedure.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld