[Column] Does cheekbone reduction surgery on the side really not work?

Hello, I’m Director Jo Hyun-woo of Ipcheok Plastic Surgery.

There is a facial contouring surgery that takes about 15 minutes and allows you to return to daily life immediately after the procedure.

It is the “Quick Cheekbone Reduction Surgery.”

If you are considering cheekbone reduction surgery, you have probably heard of quick cheekbone reduction surgery at least once. To be precise, quick cheekbone reduction surgery is not a surgery with a fixed operative method.

It is simply a name created by hospitals to emphasize that the surgery is completed quickly and recovery is fast, so it cannot be the exact name of a surgery.

There are dozens of surgical methods for reducing the cheekbones. Therefore, even the “quick cheekbone surgery” that each hospital talks about cannot be identified as a specific operation unless you know the actual surgical method. There are quick cheekbone procedures that simply shave the bone, quick cheekbone procedures that reduce only the side cheekbone, and quick cheekbone procedures that say they make an incision under the eye.

In other words, “quick cheekbone” is just a name given by the hospital.

However, recently, the phrase “quick cheekbone reduction surgery is ineffective” has spread online, and it seems many people are confused. Honestly, the sound of the word “quick” itself does not seem very appealing ^^..

Today, I would like to correct misconceptions about cheekbone reduction surgery and provide more accurate information so that those currently considering surgery can make the right choice without being swayed by baseless claims.

Is quick cheekbone reduction surgery ineffective?

Cheekbone reduction surgery

The claim that quick cheekbone reduction surgery is ineffective is not correct. The amount reduced in the side cheekbone with the 230-degree three-dimensional cheekbone surgery performed through a scalp incision is the same as in ordinary 3D cheekbone surgery. Of course, since there is no resection of the 45-degree cheekbone, the amount reduced in the 45-degree area is different, but saying that it has no effect is wrong.

To make it easier to understand, I will explain the surgical process together.

The CT you see is a view of the facial bones looking upward from under the chin. In the 230-degree three-dimensional cheekbone reduction procedure, the 45-degree cheekbone area is not cut completely; only a “partial” osteotomy is performed, and the side cheekbone is “fully” cut.

On the post-surgery CT, you can see that the side cheekbone has been pushed inward and moved to the inside, with the bones completely fused and naturally adhered.

Of course, if the procedure ends after pushing in the side cheekbone, the 45-degree cheekbone would remain. But in patients whose 45-degree cheekbone is developed, I shave the partially osteotomized 45-degree area to reduce its volume.

As you can see, not only has the side cheekbone moved inward, but the 45-degree cheekbone has also been smoothly shaved down, reducing its volume.

I will also show you actual patient photos.

230-degree cheekbone reduction surgery, before surgery

230-degree cheekbone reduction surgery, after surgery

This patient underwent 230-degree three-dimensional cheekbone reduction surgery. If you compare the before-and-after photos, you can clearly see that the 45-degree cheekbone has also been reduced. ^^ As you can see, 230-degree three-dimensional cheekbone reduction surgery is not a procedure that only affects the side cheekbone; it reduces cheekbone volume by pushing in the side cheekbone, and the 45-degree cheekbone can be sufficiently addressed through the shaving process.

Then how is it different from 3D cheekbone reduction surgery?

3D cheekbone reduction surgery is a procedure that involves resecting and removing part of the cheekbone, so it is more effective for people whose cheekbones are significantly developed. However, in fact, among most of the patients who visit us, there are not many whose cheekbones are developed to that extent.

During consultations, I recommend 3D cheekbone reduction surgery for patients whose 45-degree cheekbones are especially pronounced, or for those who want to reduce their cheekbones as much as possible regardless of the anesthesia method or swelling. However, I do not think patients who can be sufficiently treated with 230-degree three-dimensional cheekbone reduction surgery need to undergo 3D cheekbone reduction surgery unnecessarily.

Therefore, rather than following online claims or a hospital’s recommendation, please be sure to visit at least two or three hospitals before surgery and make a wise judgment.

Thank you for reading this long post.