Do Face Contour Surgery Pins Need to Be Removed? FAQs After Face Contour Surgery

Many people assume the fixation pins from face contour surgery must be removed. The doctor in the video says that isn't the case. We have gathered questions and answers that often come up in the consultation room after contouring surgery, including pin removal.

Do the pins have to be removed?

In zygoma reduction, the bone is fixed with plates and screws, and fixation is also fairly common in chin surgery.

Once the bone has healed, you can have them removed. But you don't have to. They won't cause any problems in the body, so it's fine to live with them in place.

According to the doctor, when you hear why people want their pins removed, it is more often a psychological reason: they simply don't like having something inside their body.

My jaw joint makes noises after surgery

First, consider whether the noise was there before surgery. Some people whose jaw joint (TMJ) already clicked only notice it after surgery because they are paying close attention to the area.

The doctor explains that when the cheekbone is moved inward during zygoma reduction, it may temporarily affect the joint area, but if the surgery went well, the symptoms are mostly temporary.

My face looks asymmetrical after surgery

Everyone has some degree of asymmetry, and it was most likely there before surgery as well. Many people perceive it as larger after surgery because they look at that area more often.

• If the asymmetry was caused by surgery, it can be corrected with revision surgery or other means.
• Asymmetry that existed before surgery and cannot be corrected surgically has clear limits, so a plan needs to be tailored to the situation.

Can volume be added if the face looks too hollow?

If the face looks less full than expected after facial bone surgery, the doctor says volume can be restored with a fat graft or fillers.

When is it okay to smoke and drink again?

Smoking truly does nothing but harm. Even if you can't quit completely, you need to be careful during the acute phase, so I tell patients to avoid it for at least 2 weeks.

The evidence on how alcohol affects surgical results is somewhat unclear, but since it does no good, the doctor says it is also best to avoid it for about 2 weeks.

Does weight gain reduce the effect of contouring surgery?

When you gain weight, the volume of the soft tissue increases and the face looks larger. When deciding whether to recommend face contour surgery, the doctor pays close attention to the thickness of the soft tissue covering the face. With thin soft tissue, the bone contours show well and the results are more noticeable; with thick soft tissue, the change is less visible even after the bone is reduced. This means that gaining a lot of weight after surgery makes the results harder to see.

Can bone be too thin for surgery?

That can happen with revision surgery, but the doctor says he has not yet encountered a first-time patient who couldn't have surgery because their bone was too thin.

Pins are an option you can have removed whenever you want once the bone has healed. Avoiding smoking and alcohol for the first 2 weeks of recovery and managing your weight matter more for protecting your results.