Can My Forehead Dent be Filled In To Make My Face More Symmetrical?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had a serious head injury in 1994 that left me with a skull indentation on the right side of my upper forehead and it looks like I still have swelling in the temporal area. Would it be possible to flatten that temporal area and fill in the dent in my forehead to make my face symmetrical?

A: At this point nearly 20 years after your injury, I can assure you that the bulge or fullness in the temporal area is not swelling. It is either a perception of a bulge due to the forehead indentation or an alteration (uprising) of the temporal bone as the forehead area became indented. Regardless, I am certain both areas are improveable at the same time. I would need to see some pictures to get an idea of the magnitude of the problem and see exactly what needs to be done. The forehead indentation can be filled in with bone cement (frontal cranioplasty) to match the other side as best as possible and the temporal bone or muscle can also be reduced if needed.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis,Indiana