Can You Use A Funnel To Insert Facial Implants?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I wanted to ask you if it is possible to use a Funnel for inserting wrap around chin implant through submental incision to reduce the risk of infection and if so do you believe Supore od Medpore (I believe this is the same) material can be utilized? Some doctors (such as Dr. Ramirez) do this, and what is your view on it? The rate of infection with submental approach and keller funell should be close to none so no removal would be presumably required and probably (I assume) recovery is quicker?

A: The funnel insertion device has its merits in body implants but is of little value in facial implants. The device is made to change an implant’s shape so that it can pass through a much smaller opening  than the natural width of the implant. That has great value in round, semiround and oblong ultrasoft body implants who need such deformation to get through a small entrance incision. But facial implants are comparatively smaller, are more rigid, and their shape can easily be changed to fit through a small emtrance incision. The most rigid materials (e.g.,Medpor, PEEK) rely on a segmentalized implant design to bypass a change in shape that they do not permit. Such rigid mat

While a silicone jawline implant can be introduced through a submental incision it still requires intraoral incisions to be pulled through and positioned. This is the most likely source of contamination and a funnel device will not help in that regard. Medpor and PEEK segmentalized jawline implants require the same three incisions with identical intraoral exposure.

While implant placement techniques can drive down the risk of infection to low levels there is no zero risk of infection no matter what techniques are used.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon