Face Lift Surgery
The cosmetic surgery for face lift is a rhitidectomy a lot more complete, in which muscles of the neck and of the face are aligned in such a way that the person looks a lot more young. Is a procedure of approximately 3 hours, and the work is done in all the face and the neck.
As you age, your facial muscles slacken and your skin becomes less elastic, creating folds and lines. A facelift operation can give you a more alert and youthful appearance by reducing saggy skin and wrinkles.
Facelifts may be done on your whole face (a full facelift) or just on your brow area, lower face, or neck only.
The effects of a facelift last for about seven to 10 years. The best results are achieved if you maintain a stable body weight, have skin with good levels of elasticity, and have a strong bone structure. In older people, or people who spend a lot of time in the sun, the results don’t last as long.
Preparing for your operation
Your surgeon will explain how to prepare for your operation. For example, if you smoke you may be asked to quit, as smoking increases your risk of getting a chest or wound infection and slows your recovery.
A facelift typically requires a two night stay in hospital and is usually done under general anaesthesia. This means you will be asleep during the procedure. Typically you must not eat or drink for about six hours before a general anaesthetic. However some anaesthetists allow occasional sips of water until two hours beforehand.
At the hospital your nurse will explain how you will be cared for during your stay. Your nurse may do some tests such as checking your heart rate and blood pressure, and testing your urine.
Your surgeon will usually visit you to discuss the operation and ask you to sign a consent form. This confirms that you understand the risks, benefits and possible alternatives to the procedure and have given your permission for it to go ahead.
Your surgeon will examine your face and may take photographs so that the results of surgery can be compared with your original appearance.
Your nurse will prepare you for theatre. You may be asked to wear compression stockings to help prevent blood clots forming in the veins in your legs.
About the operation
The operation takes around three to four hours. There are several different facelift techniques. Your surgeon will explain the options available to you.
Traditional facelift
Your surgeon will make a surgical cut right around your hairline, past the front of your ears. Cuts may also be made under your chin if you want to lift a sagging jawline.
Your skin is carefully separated from the underlying facial muscles. Excess fat is removed and the muscles are tightened. The skin is lifted up, pulled back and any excess trimmed off. The skin is then stitched back to the line where the cut was initially made.
Afterwards, your face is tightly wrapped in bandages. Depending on the exact procedure carried out, these may run under your chin, around your ears and/or over your head. They are usually taken off after a day or two.
Fine plastic tubes may be left in the wounds for up to 48 hours afterwards. These allow blood and fluids to drain into a bag.
Minimal-access cranial suspension (MACS)
Surgical cuts (shorter than for a traditional facelift) are made in your temple and in front of your ears. Excess fat is removed and the muscles are tightened using permanent stitches.
Keyhole surgery
Your surgeon will make several tiny cuts into your skin. Special operating instruments and an endoscope (a small, flexible tube with a light and a camera lens at the end) are passed through the cuts. Your surgeon will do the operation by looking at pictures sent by the camera lens to a TV screen.
Both MACS and keyhole surgery have the advantages of smaller scars and usually a shorter recovery time.
What to expect afterwards
You will need to rest until the effects of the general anaesthetic have passed. You may need pain relief to help with any discomfort as the anaesthetic wears off.
You will need to arrange for someone to drive you home. You should try to have a friend or relative stay with you for the first 24 hours.
Your nurse will give you some advice about caring for your healing wounds and a date for a follow-up appointment before you go home.
Dissolvable stitches will disappear on their own in seven to ten days. Non-dissolvable stitches are removed a week after surgery
Recovering from a facelift
If you need them, you can take over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Follow the instructions in the patient information leaflet that comes with the medicine and ask your pharmacist for advice.
You will have some swelling. Applying a cold compress, such as ice or a bag of frozen peas (both wrapped in a towel) can help to reduce the swelling and bruising. You should not apply ice directly to your skin as it can give you an ice “burn”.
Most people can return to work after about three weeks. To help promote your recovery, it’s important that you:
- keep your head elevated for a couple of days to reduce swelling
- don’t bend or strain
- don’t use a sauna or have a massage for at least two weeks
- don’t expose your face to the sun for a few weeks
- don’t do any vigorous activity for four or five weeks
What are the risks?
Facelift surgery is commonly performed and generally safe. However, in order to make an informed decision and give your consent, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the risk of complications of this procedure.
Side-effects
These are the unwanted, but mostly temporary effects of a successful procedure, for example feeling sick as a result of the general anaesthetic.
Side-effects of facelift surgery include:
- soreness, swelling and bruising – this can last up to a month
- scarring – this usually fades over the course of a year, but won’t completely disappear
- raised hairline in front of, and behind, your ears – in men, your beard may lie closer to your ear
Complications
This is when problems occur during or after the operation. Most people are not affected. The possible complications of any operation include an unexpected reaction to the anaesthetic, excessive bleeding, infection, or developing a blood clot, usually in a vein in the leg (deep vein thrombosis, DVT). Antibiotics may be needed to help prevent infection.
Specific complications of a facelift are uncommon, but can include:
- bleeding under your skin (haematoma) – this may require surgery to stop the bleeding and drain the area
- damage to facial nerves – this can cause numbness and muscle weakness in your face, and can be permanent
- hair loss around your scars – this can be permanent if your hair follicles are cut, or your scalp is stretched too tightly and may require corrective surgery
- unusually red or raised scars (keloids) – these can take a long time to heal
There is a risk your earlobes may hang at an irregular angle making your ears appear uneven. Further corrective surgery may be needed.
It’s possible that you may not be completely satisfied with your appearance after the operation.
The exact risks are specific to you and differ for every person, so we have not included statistics here. Ask your surgeon to explain how these risks apply to you.
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