Facelift, Face Lift 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 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 or a deep chemical peel may serve as complementary
modalities to further improve skin texture and smooth out wrinkles.
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.
A mid-face cheek lift
is an alternative method for volume restoration and reversal of the
gravity and age-related changes. 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 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-operative 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.
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 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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