The Procedure – Louisville Plastic Surgery Consultants

Description of Procedure

As individuals age, their facial skin wrinkles, sags, and there is a general loss of volume within the facial tissues. The soft tissue over the cheek bones gradually descends forming jowls over the jawline and marionette lines around the mouth while creating more of a hollow area beneath the lower eyelids. The natural curvature of the neckline becomes distorted with hanging loose skin, soft tissue and muscle. A face lift or rhytidectomy is a surgical procedure designed to elevate the sagging facial tissues back to their more youthful anatomic locations.

There are many different approaches to performing a facelift. Dr. Majzoub takes advantage of the dual-plane technique and may incorporate facial fat grafting into the procedure to restore lost facial volume. A face lift does not include rejuvenation of the neckline. This is accomplished by a separate procedure called a neck lift or platysmaplasty. A neck lift consists of removing unwanted fat in the neckline region and tightening of the neck muscles. A neck lift is typically combined with a face lift for total rejuvenation of the face and neck.

The face lift procedure is performed under general anesthesia. An inconspicuous incision is created along the temporal hairline region and around the ears. If a neck lift is requested than a neck incision is placed under the chin. The facial skin and underlining soft tissues are restored to their previous position earlier in life, excess skin is removed. The procedure generally requires 5-6 hours of operating time and may be combined with other facial rejuvenation procedures such as eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), a forehead lift and forehead shortening.

Recovery

After a face lift your face will be swollen and bruised. Expect most of the bruising and a significant amount of the swelling to subside over two weeks, however, it will take many months before your final result will be evident. Most individuals do not experience significant discomfort, pain medication will be prescribed should you need it. Small drains are placed behind the ears to drain unwanted fluid away from the surgical site. Plan on 2-3 weeks before you may be comfortable going out in public. During your initial 3 post-operative weeks you will be able to perform light activities around the house.

Results

You will notice a marked youthful improvement in your cheeks, the regions around your mouth and your jowl region. You will look younger and more refreshed. The final swelling will take many months to resolve, however, at 2 months most individuals do not mind the minor swelling. Most individuals will look up to 10 years younger, the results typically last 8 years.

For more information on whether you may be a candidate for a face lift, contact Louisville Plastic Surgery Consultants at 502.899.9996. At Louisville Plastic Surgery Consultants our goal is complete patient satisfaction.

Medical Disclaimer: All medical procedures are associated with some degree of anesthetic and operative risks. Surgical results may vary from person to person. Your specific anesthetic and operative risks will be outlined at the time of your consultation.