Blepharoplasty Surgery

Blepharoplasty surgery can be very effective for the rejuvenation of the face. As people age, the skin of the upper eyelids can accumulate and start to sag. This can often produce a tired appearance to the face. Not only can the face appear tired, the heaviness to the lids can cause the patient to feel tired.

This tired feeling often occurs at the end of the day as the lids work against the resistance of accumulated fat and skin.

Blepharoplasty procedures are usually performed under a general anesthesia. The procedure is an outpatient procedure so patients go home the same day of surgery. The procedure takes approximately an hour and a half. The patients are then in the recovery room for approximately 1 to 2 hours following surgery. Swelling persists for about one week. Bruising is variable among patients.

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Lower Face and Neck Lift

 

Lower face and necklift surgery is one of the most rewarding procedures that we perform in our practice. It is often one of the most powerful procedures for restoring a youthful look to the face. The areas of greatest improvement tend to be the neck, the jowls, the cheek, and the nasolabial fold.

During a facelift procedure, the bands formed by the platysma are sutured together to re-create the contour of the neck. The skin of the lower neck is then re-draped over the platysma. Not only is the area of the lower neck and mandibular border improved, but also the skin just above the clavicle or collar bones.

The volume of the lower third of the face is then lifted to its previous location that occurred many years earlier. The results are fuller cheeks and a softer contour along the mandibular border. During the facelift dissection the cheek is lifted to its previous position. This improves the contour along the nasolabial fold and replaces the lost volume beneath the eye.

After facelift surgery, the swelling tends to subside over several weeks. The facelift results tend to improve then over two, four, and six months and then reaches its full maturity at about one year.

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Facelift Surgery

Facelift surgery is one of the most rewarding surgeries for both the patient and the surgeon. I find that the goal of facelift surgery is to restore the patient to a younger version of themselves. This goal should be accomplished while also avoiding a "done" appearance to the face.

The typical patient who is an excellent candidate for facelift surgery is a patient who is starting to develop jowls, deepening of the nasolabial folds, and platysmal banding in the neck. Patients who are healthy pre-operatively tend to have a smoother recovery and an overall better aesthetic result.

The photograph above shows a patient who is three weeks post-operatively from a facelift.

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At six weeks post-operatively, the facelift begins to improve even more.

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Facelift Surgery

Facelift surgery can safely be performed in patients of all ages. Patients often come into the office and ask how old or how young does someone have to be to have a rejuvenation procedure performed.

Patients can be almost any age to undergo facial rejuvenation. I have had patients as young as early twenties undergo some sort of rejuvenation to the neck which may involve minor repositioning of the vector of the platysmal muscles.

I have had a patient who was ninety four years old undergo a facelift operation. The funny thing was that she asked me every day post-operatively, “When can I go back to playing racquetball?”

The point is that one can be almost any age to undergo surgery; they need to first have signs of facial aging that can be corrected with one or more methods. The last requirement, but most important, is that they need to be healthy to receive anesthesia and be able to comply with post-operative regimens. Blood pressure should be under control, other medical conditions stabilized, and exercise capacity should be high. Not only do physically fit patients recover well from anesthesia, they also get the best surgical results.

Facelift surgery is very helpful to restore the contour of the face, jowls, and neck. Facelift surgery not only improves facial contour, it also significantly improves the quality of the skin. After the deep plane facelift, the quality of the skin significantly improves both in tone and in texture.

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Facial Rejuvenation in the Male Patient

Facial rejuvenation in the male can be very powerful. There are subtle modifications of the facelift technique when performed in the male to maintain a masculine quality of the face and to also restore youth.

 
Male patients tend to see significant improvements in the lower eyelids following a facelift as now the cheek is restored to it's natural position. The lower eyelid is an important area to improve in facial rejuvenation, as this area can allow the face to appear better rested.


The jawline is also a significant factor for creating a youthful appearance in the male. Great attention should be placed on the neck contour and the position of the neck angle in relation to the thyroid cartilage.


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Blepharoplasty Surgery (Eyelid Surgery)

Q: What is commonly involved in a blepharoplasty procedure?

A: Anesthesia: Upper Blepharoplasty procedures are commonly performed under general anesthesia. I find that patients are often most comfortable under general anesthesia during an eyelid surgery.

The Incision: Incisions are made in pre-existing eyelid creases. Occasionally, if the creases are at different heights, then creases are set to a level close to approximating each other. The incision is then typically closed with sutures, skin adhesives or surgical tape.

After Surgery: Some swelling or bruising may occur, but will subside. The result will be a refreshed, younger looking you.

Q: What is the recovery time for upper blepharoplasty?

A: I typically tell patients that if surgery is done on Friday, they are fine going back to work on Monday...meaning e-mails, cell phone, phone conference meetings, or paperwork. Typically, I prefer if patients wait for a full two weeks before performing any heavy lifting or straining.

Patients are instructed to sleep with the head of their bed elevated for 48 hours to reduce swelling. Bruising can occur and can be visible for anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks.

There is usually one suture placed on each eyelid that is removed at approximately 5 days following surgery.

All patients are given pain pills such as Percocet or Vicodin. Typically, patients do not complain of any pain following upper eyelid surgery and can easily convert to Tylenol or Motrin within a day or two.

Facelift Surgery and CO2 Laser: A Powerful Combination

 

 



Facelift Surgery is one of the more commonly performed operations for facial rejuvenation. Facelift surgery focuses on improving several signs of aging. When the fractionated CO2 laser is used in combination with a facelift, the results can be quite dramatic.

1.       Of all the areas on the face associated with facial aging, the neck is almost invariably the region that patients would like corrected. As we age, the platysma muscle in the neck becomes more lax. As the muscle becomes more lax, a banding appearance appears on either side of the midline of the neck. One of the most important maneuvers in facelift surgery is to improve the appearance of these bands.

2.       Another common area on the face that patients would like to improve are the jowls. As we age, the cheek tends to fall. As the cheek falls, the skin and subcutaneous tissue tend to hand below the level of the mandible. In the mid-portion of the mandible, the retaining ligaments are loose. This areas tends to lead to an ill-dfined mandibular border.  When a facelift is performed, attention is placed on lifting this area of the cheek so that the border of the mandible can be more readily seen.

 

 



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