Can A Limb Lengthening Procedure Infect A Previously Placed Jawline Implant?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I’d like to ask you a question.This year I’ll do an Ilizarov surgery to lengthen my right leg. I know that Ilizarov could cause infection, but you can cure it with antibiotics. If I get from you a custom wrap around jawline implant fBEFORE the Ilizarov treatment could an Ilizarov infection cause the infection to spread to the jawline implant?

Thank you so much

A: I know of no infectious correlation between a jawline implant and a lower extremity device procedure regardless of the order in which they are performed. Specifically do I think that a bone infection from limb lengthening procedure could cause a delayed infection in a well healed previously placed jawline implant…I think that would be very unlikely.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana