ON Facial Contouring Zygoma Revision: Removing 26 Fixation Pins and a Bone Graft Case
This patient, who visited O.N Clinic, had undergone two previous cheekbone Surgeries but was not satisfied with the results and came to us with 26 fixation pins in their face. The thin cheekbones and multiple Surgery scars made a revision Surgery extremely difficult. However, O.N Clinic prioritized the patient's safety and aesthetic improvement, planning a delicate, precise, and customized cheekbone revision Surgery.
Difficulty of Cheekbone Revision Surgery and O.N Clinic's Approach
Analysis of the patient's 3D CT images revealed that the cheekbones had become abnormally thin due to previous Surgeries, resulting in a somewhat flat and wide appearance of the face. In particular, the 26 pins used to fix the cheekbones were unsightly and embedded throughout the face, and safely removing these pins alone required considerable time and precision.
During the Consultation with the patient, Dr. Oh Myung-jun explained this complex situation in detail, emphasizing a safe Planning.
"We removed all the previously used pins and used a much smaller number and size of pins, less than half. Cutting alone does not cause severe bleeding, but resection does. If methods A and B yield the same results, we should choose the safer Surgery. Why would we perform a risky Surgery? We should choose a safe Surgery."
After removing the existing pins, bone grafting techniques were applied to reinforce the thinned cheekbones and add dimension to the face. By using the patient's own bone for grafting, biocompatibility was enhanced, and more Natural Results were pursued.
Ensuring Dimensionality and Safety Through Bone Grafting
The goal was to improve the face, which had become wide due to the front cheekbones being pushed back by previous Surgeries, by moving them forward through bone grafting to create a convex and three-dimensional shape. Additionally, the right cheekbone area, which was weakened by being too thin, was reinforced with two fixation pins to enhance stability. The reason for osteotomizing the coronoid process is to resolve the problem of difficulty opening the mouth when the temporalis muscle is excessively developed. Through this complex approach, we aimed for functional and aesthetic improvements beyond simple reduction.
- Removal of existing pins: All 26 pins embedded in the face were removed to eliminate unnecessary foreign objects.
- Bone grafting: The thinned cheekbones were reinforced by utilizing removed bone fragments or grafting the patient's own bone.
- Cheekbone position adjustment: The front cheekbones, which were pushed back, were moved forward to create a three-dimensional face shape.
- Safe fixation: A smaller number of smaller, safer fixation pins were used than before to reduce the risk of recurrence.
Pre- and Post-Surgery CT Analysis: Hidden Changes
If only the frontal view of the post-Surgery CT images is observed, it may appear that the bone shape has not changed significantly. However, O.N Clinic analyzes CT scans from various angles to not miss even subtle changes. In particular, the basal view of the CT images clearly shows that the cheekbones, which were located outside the joint before Surgery, narrowed to inside the joint after Surgery. These changes make the face appear smaller and more three-dimensional even to the naked eye.
"When viewed from the front, one might mistakenly think the bone shape hasn't changed much. But from below, it's completely different. Now it's narrower than the joint. You can feel the reduction just by touching it!"
In many cases where Surgery was performed at other clinics, too much bone was shaved off, making the cheekbones as thin as paper. Such weakened bones require a more delicate approach during revision Surgery, and O.N Clinic focuses on reinforcing them through methods like bone grafting to enhance the safety of the Surgery and the longevity of the results.
Problems with Surgeries at Other Clinics and O.N Clinic's Solutions
In this patient's case, because the cheekbones were too thin due to previous Surgeries, simply shaving off more bone would not have yielded good results. Thin bones are difficult to fix, have a high risk of recurrence, and in severe cases, can fracture. To solve these problems, O.N Clinic performed bone grafting in necessary areas to reinforce the bone thickness and strength, instead of removing unnecessary bone. This allowed us to create a smooth and strong facial contour while achieving a more natural and three-dimensional face shape.
After the Surgery, the patient expressed satisfaction, saying their face had significantly reduced. O.N Clinic strives to provide optimal solutions based on meticulous analysis of each patient's condition, advanced medical technology, and extensive experience, even in such complex and difficult revision Surgery cases, to achieve safe and satisfactory results.
O.N Clinic | Last reviewed 2026-05-23