Facelift Surgery

Preparing for surgery

Facelifts are very individualized procedures. After the initial consultation, our ART MEDIC surgeon will examine you to evaluate your face, including the skin and underlying bone. He will discuss the factors and medical conditions that may affect the procedure—such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, blood clotting problems, or the tendency to form excessive scars—and the possible changes in your appearance as the result of the surgery.

ART MEDIC surgeons will also give you instructions how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications. Our surgeon will describe the procedure in detail, explaining its risks and limitations and making sure you understand the effect that the surgery will have on your body. Our specialists will also explain the effects of the anaesthesia that will be used, will show you the operating theatre where the surgery will be performed, and will inform you about all the costs involved. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure and any risks and potential complications of your surgery.

If you smoke, it's especially important to stop for at least a month before and after surgery; smoking inhibits blood flow to the skin, and can interfere with the healing of your incision areas.

If your hair is very short, you might want to let it grow before surgery, so that it's long enough to hide the scars while they heal. If you have long hair, it is not required to cut it for the procedure, but it is important to wash your hair thoroughly before the surgery.

Description of surgery

Facelifts surgeries have many varieties:

full facelift involves surgery on the whole face,
partial facelift can be done on certain parts of the face, like the upper part of the face or on the forehead only, the lower part of the face,
neck lift is designed to improve the look of the sagging double chin and neck.

These procedures are performed under general anaesthesia most of the time, in which case you will sleep through the operation, and it can also be done under local anesthetic if it is advised by our surgeon or insisted on by you. A face lift can also be carried out together with a neck lift for a fresher and younger look.

A facelift surgery usually takes several hours-or longer if you're having more than one procedure done at the same time. For extensive procedures, our surgeons may schedule two separate sessions. Every surgeon approaches the procedure in their own way. The exact placement of incisions and the sequence of events depends on your facial structure and the surgeon's technique. Incisions begin above the hairline at the temples, extend in a natural line in front of the ear (or just inside the cartilage at the front of the ear), and continue behind the earlobe to the lower scalp. If a neck lift is done , a small incision may also be made under the chin.

Your surgeon separates the skin from the fat and muscle below. The fat may be trimmed or removed from around the neck and chin to improve the contour. The surgeon then tightens the underlying muscle and membrane, pulls the skin back, and removes the excess. Stitches secure the layers of tissue and close the incisions; metal clips may be used on the scalp.

After the surgery

It is important to note here that the amount of time it takes for recovery varies greatly among patients. Following surgery, a small, thin tube may be temporarily placed under the skin behind your ear to drain any blood that might collect there. You will also receive a loose bandage to minimize bruising and swelling for the first two days. When these are removed, you will notice puffiness and discoloration which may be more pronounced along the incisions and around the eyes. There is no need to worry, this is perfectly normal and will disappear within two to three weeks. You might also experience numbness in the facial area, which may be present for several weeks or longer. Your stitches will be removed in two or three seperate pieces, the last one 8-10 days after surgery.

After surgery, you will be asked to restrict any activities that might strain you and simply relax for a few days. Bending, straining and lifting should be minimised during the first 2-3 weeks.

We recommend elevating your head when you sleep and it will help minimize swelling and bruising.

Your face needs to be protected from direct sunlight and extreme heat for at least 6 weeks and you need to be conscientious about the use of a sunblock to protect your skin int he long term.

You will also be advised to avoid hot and spicy foods and alcohol.

And remember, you should not smoke or be exposed to heavy secondary smoke during the healing process.

Only after 5-6 days can you wash your hair and you are not advised to use make-up for 3 weeks after your facelift surgery.

(www.plasticsurgery.org)