With time one of the main problems that appear on the face and neck is sagging. The problem worsens with weight loss and its severity directly depends on the type of skin.
So gradually, more commonly after the age of 40, a downward sagging of the facial skin begins and appears with deepening of wrinkles on the sides of the mouth, softening of the angle of the jaw, appearance of folds and sagging of the neck.
At the same time, relaxation and drooping of the forehead and upper eyelid skin also occurs. The operation that deals with these problems is the lift (face and neck lift) which is often combined with blepharoplasty and a frontal lift if deemed necessary.
It is one of the “classic” plastic surgery operations that over the years has improved significantly in its techniques, resulting in smaller scars, faster recovery for the patient and more natural results. Candidate patients for a lift are those who show sagging but with good skin quality and elasticity. The lift spectacularly treats sagging and wrinkling on the cheeks and neck and straightens the middle and lower face. It can also be combined with modern liposuction in the frontal area and along the angle of the jaw.
In terms of age, patients are usually between 40-65 years old without the operation being contraindicated in older patients without health problems. Pre-operatively, the patient’s problems will be assessed and the doctor will suggest the necessary corrections. Photos will be taken and the necessary pre-operative tests will be done.
The operation is usually performed under local anesthesia and sedation or under general anesthesia. The duration of the operation is from 3 to 6 hours, depending on whether it is combined with other operations such as a frontal lift or eyelid surgery.
Most commonly the incision starts at the roots of the hair at the temple, is hidden by the cartilaginous part of the ear and passes through the earlobe and continues back into the hair. If a neck lift is also needed, the liposuction in the groin becomes an additional incision under the jaw.
During the operation the myoaponeurotic part of the face is lifted and fixed to straighten the middle and lower face and the excess skin is removed. There are different techniques for the face and neck lift (eg SMAS lift / MACS lift ) which mainly have to do with the extent of skin detachment and the incisions but the essence is the lifting of the underlying tissue and the removal of excess skin.
The patient usually stays in the hospital for one night and returns to his activities after 8-15 days. The face and neck remain bandaged for 5 days to limit swelling. Bruises occur which subside after 5 – 8 days.
Complications: The lift is a major operation. Possible complications from this are hematoma that can occur immediately after surgery, infection (rare) and healing problems along the incision. Injury to the facial nerve should be mentioned among the possible complications.
Contraindications for face/neck lift:
Although age per se is not a contraindication, problems such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart diseases combined with older age make us particularly cautious. Another group of patients we are negative about the operation are patients with very thin dehydrated skin without elasticity. Smoking is also a relative contraindication as the percentage of surgical wound healing problems increases significantly.