Facelift, Cheek Lift and Mini-Lift Surgery
With the aging process, the skin
becomes less elastic enabling gravity to imprint changes on the
face and the neck. Frequent sun exposure hastens these changes
and thus should be avoided. A facelift (rhytidectomy) reverses
the effects of gravity on the lower face, and in most patients
the benefits of a facelift are most pronounced in the lower
cheek (jowls) and in the neck area. Incisions, carefully
designed for maximum camouflage, are made behind the hairline
of the temple, around the ear, and in the hair behind the
ear.
The Cheeklift
The classical facelift designed
to improve both the neck and cheeks in the older patient may be
individualized to suit the needs of younger patients aged in
their late thirties and forties who tend to have more localized
and early effects of the gravity pull and aging. Thus, the
cheek and the neck components may be performed separately or in
a more limited, less invasive fashion: thus a neck lift, a
cheek lift, a "mini-lift" or an “S-lift”.
Furthermore, a classical facelift or more limited procedures
may be combined with other procedures such as a forehead (brow
lift) that rejuvenates the upper one third of the
face. In fact, a facelift and a brow lift are often
performed together.
Laser Resurfacing and Chemical Peel
Laser resurfacing or a deep chemical
peel may serve as complementary modalities to further improve
skin texture and smooth out wrinkles.
Cheek Implant Surgery
Fat transfer, other fillers such as
Sculptra or silastic cheek implants may be needed in
some patients in the central cheek region to to improve
hollowness and to restore volume lost by the aging process.
Amid-face cheek lift is an alternative method for volume
restoration and reversal of the gravity and age-related
changes.
Dr. Zemplenyi: Expert Facelift Surgeon for Patients from
Seattle to New York
At the Bel-Red Center for Aesthetic Surgery we not only
serve patients from Seattle, Bellevue, and
the entire Puget Sound region but patients also travel to see
Cosmetic Surgeron Dr. Zemplenyi from locations as far as
Oregon, California, Florida and New York. Dr. Zemplenyi does not currently
use the Contour Thread Lift method of facial
rejuvenation because he is aware of the short-lived and minor
improvements that have been achieved by other reputable and
knowledgeable surgeons. The high cost of each Contour Thread
makes the entire procedure too costly in comparison to more
effective methods available at our center.
Pre-Face Lift/Cheek Lift/Mini Lift Consultation
During your consultation Dr. Zemplenyi
will obtain your photographs, analyze them and address your
cosmetic concerns. He will advise you on the various
techniques available for their correction. We wish to empower
you to make an informed decision about those procedures best
for you and custom tailored to your individual needs. As a
facial plastic surgeon Dr. Zemplenyi is well-trained and
experienced to perform the multiple rejuvenation procedures
listed above including their many variations. A history and
physical examination by the primary care physician along with
an electrocardiogram (EKG) and laboratory work is recommended
for pre-operative clearance for patients above fifty years of
age and as indicated by their other medical problems. An
additional pre-operative visit is usually scheduled with Dr.
Zemplenyi to further discuss the planned surgery, to obtain
informed surgical consent and to review general health issues.
Facelift/Cheek Lift/Mini Facelift Surgery &
Anesthesia
 Our goal is to perform all surgeries without any patient
recollection of the procedure and with the least amount of
discomfort, nausea or other anesthetic side-effects. Patient's
comfort and safety are paramount and complete monitoring is
performed for all patients undergoing any anesthetic. Since all
levels of anesthesia are available in our Medicare-certified
surgical center we are able to tailor the technique to
patient's needs, desires and wishes.
Facelifts are most commonly performed under conscious
sedation anesthesia (twilight sleep) although general
anesthesia may be used in selected patients, especially when
combined with some of other cosmetic procedures we offer. On
the other hand, mini-lifts or mini-facelifts can be performed
under straight local anesthesia perhaps with administration of
an additional oral sedative medication.
Shaving of hair is unnecessary for a facelift and other
facial plastic procedures. Incisions for a facelift are
placed in the scalp above the ear, in the crease in front of
the ear, under the earlobe and behind the ear. Thus, large
segments of these incisions are hidden in the hair, and the
exposed segment in front of the ear usually heals very well and
quite quickly. Skin and underlying
tissues of the neck and cheek are then lifted and tightened in
two layers, and excess skin is removed. Dr. Zemplenyi
routinely combines a facelift with fat removal from the neck
(liposuction) through a small incision under the chin.
Platysmal muscle bands are released and sutured together
re-establishing a more youthful appearance of the neck.
Additional incisions under the upper lip and under the lower
eyelid lashes may be made when significant lifting is needed in
the mid-cheek region. A compressive dressing is applied at the
completion of the operation. Following a facelift
patients are discharged home accompanied by a responsible adult
usually within one hour following completion of the surgery.
After Your Facelift/Cheek Lift/Mini Lift Surgery
Post-operative discomfort is quite easily controlled with
prescribed narcotic medications, and many patients do not feel
the need to use these medications beyond the first 24 to 48
hours. Application of ice compresses to the face and elevation
of the head tend to decrease swelling and bruising. A
compressive dressing is removed on the first day following the
operation. Sutures in the hairline region are removed in seven
to ten days as are the staples within the hair-bearing scalp.
While the amount of bruising is minimized by our modern
surgical techniques, the actual amount varies and depends on
individual circumstances. Most of the swelling and bruising
tends to resolve in ten to fourteen days, although some
swelling, discoloration and tightness may last a few more
weeks. Cover-up make-up is available through our esthetician
services and can be applied soon after the surgery. Lymphatic
drainage is sometimes used to accelerate the resolution of
swelling. Following a conventional facelift most patients
return to work in about ten days, but some return much quicker,
especially following less extensive procedures such as
mini-lifts, S-lifts and neck lifts. Proper hair-styling also
plays a role in the initial post-surgical cover-up. Sensation of tightness in the neck may last
several weeks. Final cosmetic result is not achieved
for about three to four months when the residual changes
resolve.
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