Cheekbone reduction surgery or zygoma reduction surgery is a cosmetic surgical procedure to reduce the width of upper face essentially the cheekbone in order to make the face smaller, oval and more feminine. This surgical procedure is commonly done for patient who has a wide face due to large or prominent cheek bones.
The approach for this surgery is either through incision made in the mouth or sometimes mouth incision combined with small external incision at side burn area or in front of ear canal. Prominent part of the zygoma is reduced either by shaving or cutting the prominent bony segment (zygoma). The surgically fractured zygoma is then carefully moved inward, backward and downward. Once the fractured zygoma is repositioned, it is secured by small plates and screws. Zygoma reduction surgery can be done as a single procedure or often done in combination with other facial contouring surgery such as mandibular angle reduction surgery to create an oval shaped facial appearance.
During the initial healing phase, patient may experience pain, numbness, bruises and swelling around the cheeks. Occasionally, patient may experience tightness during mouth opening. These symptoms are transient; usually last about 3-4 weeks. If there are any sutures on the side burn areas or in front of external ear canals, they are usually removed about 7-10 days after the surgery. Oral antibiotics and analgesics will be prescribed to reduce the risk of infection and postoperative pain respectively.