Maxillofacial augmentation and reduction

Patients seek consultation for changes in the facial skeleton for several reasons, some purely to affect an aesthetic contour change and others to improve upon asymmetries of a congenital, developmental, posttraumatic, or postoncologic treatment nature. The surgeon may affect such changes through reduction or augmentation of virtually any area of the craniofacial skeleton. In many cases augmentation is done through prosthetic implants given the three-dimensional complexity of the facial skeleton. This chapter focuses primarily on the zygoma, maxilla, and mandible. Success depends on understanding the patient’s desires, accurate clinical examination, precise planning, and accurate technique, as well as recognizing limitations.