Dr G told me the bone grows into it but doesn't replace it. The patent says the same but that sometimes it gets replaced by bone. I didn't see anything about stem cells there, just mixing it with PRP which is just to speed healing along. That why I say, the asymmetry and inability to produce desired results tend to be more of the problem, especially long term. They seem to be round balls in x-rays and that soft tissue masks it well now, later I don't know but the moldability of it probably still makes it better than implants.
My sample size is limited but it seems the odds are about 20% of giving a good result, 40% of giving a neutral result, and 40% of giving a bad result but because it wasn't significant to begin with, didn't matter that much. Despite what people say, it's not too expensive so I don't think it's padding their pockets or anything. It may be a market differentiator. Like I'm not really sure about this facial balance stuff since so many other things need to change too, however in many cases we do have growth deficiencies and it can help there. Many times patients don't go back to surgeon or don't voice their opinions so the surgeons may have less feedback about results than you'd think. Seems that other professionals in the industry have no idea what this product is.
What I like about it is there's no fixation required so it's probably the least foreign augmentation that you can get right now. People I've spoken to have said they're very hardy once cured. There's still is no way to know the long term prognosis for these things. Like, just look at the guy on this forum who had a fracture there and it's compressing a facial nerve causing him lots of pain. I'd say if you really want it, then absolutely these are the guys to deliver and, even if it resorbs, I think you could always augment on top of them later to correct things. It's not like they're doing extra incisions to get there. It seems to me they could be using BMP2 for those now too, I guess they won't want to mess with what works. They could also graft with BioOSS or HA blocks and use this stuff as a binder for more significant results but less moldability post-op. That would give the extra augmentation people may want but again, with unpredictable soft tissue changes might not be a great idea to do too much anyway. Who knows, maybe they're experimenting with it now already. Or maybe Dr G will read this post and it will give him some ideas
I would also add that while it's primarily an aesthetic issue, it's not fair to say that's the only reason to fix your cheekbone projection. Flat cheekbones can cause problems down the line. Poorly supported skin pulls on the lower lid more, resulting in extra work for those muscles to support them. In extreme cases, those lids can even flip inside out and a skin lift is needed, which we know doesn't have a great prognosis. The eyelids can also not close properly, a problem I've had before and I can tell you that's one of the most miserable conditions one can suffer. The eyes will tend to dry out poorly supported too I think. These are common problems, since deficiencies here are common even in people with normal jaws. And these are problems we nearly all experience at some point but those who are deficient will experience them sooner. Fixing it or again in your 50s isn't a terrible idea and, hopefully by then we'll have better options on the market for augmentations. As for aesthetic effects, those procedures may be worse and at some point the aesthetic effects can be so demoralizing that the risks of this particular procedure may outweigh the risks of not fixing it. Don't neglect mental health!
