Can Overcorrection After Cheekbone Reduction Surgery Be Reversed?

Hello, this is Director Jo Hyun-woo of 입체성형외과.

After cheekbone reduction surgery, some people find that the result is not the image they wanted, or that the surgery has been overcorrected, and they want to return to their original state.

Today, I will explain what methods may be used to correct this in such cases.

Depending on the cheekbone reduction method and the timing, the restoration method can vary.

In general, when people think of restoration or reconstruction, they often imagine surgery that uses bone cement or implants made with a 3D printer to recreate the bone shape as it was before.

However, this kind of surgery is complex and costly.

It may not restore everything perfectly, but I will explain a surgical method that is a bit easier to approach.

First, I will explain the general 3D cheekbone reduction surgery.

In 3D cheekbone reduction surgery, there is bone removed from the 45-degree cheekbone area.

In fact, because this bone is removed, once it has been cut, it cannot return to its original state unless bone grafting is performed and the bone is placed back.

However, during 3D cheekbone reduction surgery, fixation pins are usually used in the 45-degree area and the back cheekbone area.

In general, because patients want the maximum amount of cheekbone reduction, pins of about 3 mm are usually used in the 45-degree area, and pins of about 5 mm are used in the back cheekbone area.

If you think there has been overcorrection, simply changing these fixation pins can move the cheekbone back closer to its original position.

If the 45-degree cheekbone has become too flat, the bone can be lifted again and a flat plate can be used. If the side cheekbone seems to have been recessed too much, it can be lifted and fixed again using pins of about 2 to 3 mm.

The surgical method varies somewhat depending on when the first surgery was performed.

If it has been about 1 to 2 months since surgery, the bone is often not yet fully set, so correction can be done easily without osteotomy.

However, if a long time has passed after surgery, the bone can be osteotomized again without removal to correct the overcorrection.

Next, I will explain 230-degree 3D cheekbone reduction surgery.

In 230-degree 3D cheekbone reduction surgery, there is no removal of bone from the 45-degree cheekbone.

Instead of removing bone, shaving is performed.

Because the bone is shaved away, the shaved bone cannot actually be returned to its original position.

Therefore, to recover the amount removed from the 45-degree cheekbone area, some restoration is possible through fat grafting or fillers.

In the case of the side cheekbone, as with 3D cheekbone reduction, restoration is possible by changing the height of the fixation pins.

As with 3D cheekbone reduction, if it has been within 1 to 2 months after surgery, restoration can be done simply without osteotomy. However, after the bone has fully set, partial osteotomy on the 45-degree side and osteotomy in the back cheekbone area are needed, just like in the first surgery.

Of course, it cannot be said that you can return perfectly to the original bone state before surgery, but you can think of it as possible to some extent with a simpler method rather than a complicated reconstruction procedure.

If you are feeling depressed because the cheekbone surgery was overcorrected and cannot be reversed, and you are looking for a simple restoration method, it may be worth considering.

Thank you.