How Often Does Inflammation Occur After Facial Contouring Surgery?

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

All surgeries carry the possibility of side effects and complications.

No matter what surgery you have, inflammation is one of the possible side effects.

Today, I will talk about the likelihood of inflammation after facial contouring surgery and why it occurs.

Facial contouring surgery

Facial contouring surgery can be broadly divided into cheekbone reduction surgery, square jaw surgery, and chin surgery.

Inflammation can be broadly classified into two types:

1. Infection during surgery

2. Infection after surgery

To prevent infection during surgery, the operating room is always kept clean, and all instruments are thoroughly sterilized.

In an environment with a well-established sterilization system, infection during surgery can be considered very rare.

So why does infection occur after surgery?

The most common cause I mention is smoking and drinking.

When you smoke, blood vessels constrict, reducing blood flow to the surgical site, which delays wound healing and can weaken the body’s defense against bacteria.

Excessive drinking also lowers immunity and increases the likelihood of inflammation.

Therefore, I recommend no smoking and no drinking for at least one month after surgery.

Treatment of sinusitis

The area with a relatively higher chance of inflammation after contouring surgery is the cheekbone.

This is because cheekbone surgery uses fixation pins, and the sinuses may be exposed during the procedure.

There is a normal bacterial flora in the sinuses, and while it usually does not cause problems, it can trigger inflammation under certain conditions.

If these bacteria enter the surgical site, and especially if the inflammation spreads around the fixation pins, treatment becomes necessary.

Although preventive antibiotics are taken, in rare cases inflammation can still occur despite them.

If inflammation occurs at the cheekbone surgical site, in my case I reopen the surgical area, thoroughly wash it out, and replace the fixation pins with new ones.

If it is thoroughly washed with a solution mixed with a high concentration of antibiotics, most cases recover without problems.

However, if inflammation is left untreated, it can lead to poor outcomes such as bone loss or the fixation pins coming loose, so careful follow-up is essential.

Mouthwash for facial contouring surgery

Another important point is oral hygiene.

Since facial contouring surgery is mostly performed through an incision inside the mouth, food can get into the wound area.

The sutures are carefully placed, but if they are tied too tightly, scarring may not be good, so there are cases where a small gap is left, and food can get into that area.

I have also rarely seen rice grains discovered during inflammation washout. These small food remnants can also cause inflammation.

Therefore, after surgery, it is very important to gargle thoroughly and to rinse the mouth after every meal.

Another cause of inflammation is the suture material. In facial contouring surgery, absorbable sutures are used in most cases.

They naturally break down in the body over time, so no additional removal is needed, but in some cases these sutures can also cause inflammation.

Inflammatory cells may penetrate deep into the surgical site along the path where the suture passed, leading to inflammation.

Therefore, in my case, I remove the stitches to prevent possible inflammation caused by the sutures and excessive scar formation.

Photo of part of the chin having dissolved and disappeared due to actual inflammation

In chin surgery as well, there are fixation pins and cut bone fragments, so if inflammation occurs, prompt treatment is needed.

Cut bone has relatively poor blood supply, so if inflammation develops, the bone can be damaged quickly.

In such cases, recovery is possible if the area is immediately washed out and the fixation pins are replaced with new ones.

Lastly, square jaw surgery is a region where fixation pins are not inserted, so the inflammation rate is relatively lower.

In particular, textbooks say that areas with a lot of muscle do not easily develop inflammation and heal well.

However, inflammation can still occur in the square jaw area, and even in that case, recovery is possible if it is washed out properly.

What symptoms appear when inflammation develops?

Textbook symptoms of inflammation are swelling, warmth, pain, and pus.

In particular, if swelling suddenly becomes severe or pain increases about a week after surgery, it may not simply be part of the normal recovery process.

Therefore, during recovery, if you carefully check whether these symptoms are present and receive prompt treatment, most cases recover without major problems.

Inflammation can occur unpredictably in anyone.

Put aside thoughts like, “Why did this only happen to me?” and, for a smooth recovery, follow the postoperative instructions carefully, such as no smoking, no drinking, thorough oral hygiene, and regular follow-up checks.

Thank you.