Aesthetic facial skeletal contouring in the Asian patient

Abstract

In response to facial skeletal differences across race, and cultural differences in what patients feel to be aesthetically desirable, surgical procedures continue to evolve. Mandibular angle reduction and zygoma reduction are powerful procedures for affecting facial skeletal change to achieve a softer, less angular, facial contour. Achieving a safe and satisfying result relies equally on success in preoperative evaluation and in intraoperative execution. The following considerations are particularly important during initial evaluation: patient age, skeletal relative to soft tissue contribution to facial prominences, asymmetries, and a clear understanding of the patient's perception of the deformity. Intraoperatively, complications are avoided through the careful planning of osteotomies to avoid adjacent structures.