The Face Lift and
Neck Lift Surgery
The Face Lift surgery is performed as an outpatient
procedure under general anesthesia in our medicare-accredited, state-of-the-art
Newport
Coast Surgical Center. The
operation takes approximately three to four hours to perform. The patient is monitored by an
anesthesiologist throughout the procedure.
The Face Lift procedure begins with an incision inside the
hairline at the temple, extends downward in a natural crease in front of the
ear and continuing behind the earlobe to the lower scalp along the hairline of
the neck.
The skin is carefully separated from the underlying muscles
of the face. The membrane overlying the muscles
of the face, also called the SMAS, is tightened with sutures.
This provides a more durable facial
tightening effect. The skin is redraped upwards and outwards with moderate
tension and the excess skin is removed.
The incision is then closed with sutures.
The Neck Lift begins with liposuction of the midline neck
and jaw line. The remaining excess fat in the midline must be directly removed
through a small incision under the chin. The muscle is then tightened in the
midline and suspended in a lifted position. This will create the desired,
defined neck angle that did not exist preoperatively. The excess skin of the neck is then pulled upwards
and outwards with moderate tension and the excess skin is removed. The incision is then closed with
sutures.
Only a thorough and candid discussion between you and Dr.
Doan can determine the best surgical options for you. Doctor Doan will discuss with you in detail
every step of the procedure and he will review with you the possible
complications of the operation.
The Recovery From
Face Lift and Neck Lift Surgery
Recovery from a Face Lift is remarkably less painful than
one might expect. You will be prescribed
medication for pain and nausea. You will
also be given antibiotics to prevent infection.
The head should be kept elevated for the first several days to lessen
the swelling. It is normal to have
swelling of the face, bruising along the jaw line, and numbness of the
face. You should be up and about the
next day to prevent blood clots from developing in the veins of the legs. The sutures will be removed at 5 days after
surgery. Swelling takes up to three
months to completely resolve and bruising should resolve in two weeks. Most patients can return to work by two to
three weeks after surgery but may require make-up to camouflage residual
bruising. Scars may take up to a year to
fade, soften, and flatten. The ear and hairline can very effectively cover the
scars. It is not unusual for patients to
feel rather strange about their appearance for the first several months. Facial features may be distorted from the
swelling and facial movements may be slightly weaker than normal before full
recovery is achieved at 2 to 3 months.
By 3 months after surgery, most patients are highly satisfied with their
results. Doctor Doan and his staff will
guide you through the entire recovery period to make sure that it is as smooth
as possible.
Complications of
Face Lift and Neck Lift Surgery
If you are a healthy candidate with no pre-existing
disorders or diseases which may inhibit healing, the general risks of Face Lift
and Neck Lift surgery are very low. However, since it is indeed surgery, there are
inherent risks you must consider before choosing to undergo a procedure such as
this. Potential complications associated
with Face Lift and Neck Lift surgery may include the following:
Hematoma: Abnormal bleeding underneath the skin can cause a significant collection of blood that swells the skin tensely and
causes extreme pain. A reoperation is required to remove the blood and cauterize the bleeding vessel.
Facial Nerve Injury: The face and neck have many nerves that control muscle movements. If any of
these nerves are cut, it can lead to paralysis of a facial muscle and will be noticed as weakness or paralysis of that particular facial movement. This is very rare. Usually, the nerve is only stretched and bruised and will recover function in 3 to 6 months.
Hypertrophic Scarring: Thick scarring can developing, particularly behind the ear. This can be treated with steroid injection to help soften, flatten, and lighten the scar.
Alopecia: Hair loss in the area of the incisions.
Skin Necrosis: Dead skin around the incision can result from cigarette smoking which compromises skin circulation, too much tension on the skin because too much skin was resected, or dissection that leaves the skin too thin.
Numbness of the Skin: The sensation usually returns by one year, if not sooner. However, there can be areas of facial skin with permanent numbness or decreased sensation.
