Facelift Surgery, Rhytidectomy

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Facelift Surgery, Rhytidectomy

Plastic surgical procedures have to be performed by plastic surgeons!

The facial plastic surgery is a common plastic surgical procedure in the older age-group. The rhytidectomy (face lift) is recommended especially after the development of deeper wrinkles on the face. Just drag your facial skin back- and upward, and if You like the result, You are candidate for the operation. Aging of the skin is a physiological process. The amount of collagen and flexible filaments of the skin is decreasing, parallel to this the elasticity in the skin will decrease as well. The skin begins to loosen on the face and neck, the effect of the gravity will be more and more expressed. Because of the atrophy of the skin and the underlying tissue the skin will loosen and sag. These wrinkles which are physiologically presented, will be more deeper and new wrinkles will be presented. This process occurs in different ages in the different persons and progresses by different velocity. Beyond the individual factors certain factors strongly influence and speed up the natural aging of the skin. This factors are the ethnic background, weather conditions ( number of sunny days, humidity, wind, temperature fluctuations ), excessive sunbathing, lifestyle habits ( excessive stress, excessive consumption of alcohol and nicotin, insufficient sleep, lack of relaxation ), certain diseases ( hepatic diseases, artherosclerosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, taking medication for a permanent period ). As much exposure of ultraviolet radiation the skin gets through the life, as bigger the lesion in the skin. These malformations are more visible on the face and neck. Because of these malformations You look more older than You really feel yourself. During the operation the loosened, wrinkled skin will be strechened, and the excess of skin will be removed. The final result of the facial plastic surgery will be visible after the total cessation of swelling. After the face lift the skin on the face and neck will be again tight, smooth and youthful. It is a natural expectation that the women and men wants to have tight skin on their face and neck, thus their lines can remain youthful. The facial plastic surgery gives back the elasticity of the skin on the face and neck, thus enhances the youthful appearance. It increases the self-confidence as well.

WHO IS CANDIDATE FOR FACELIFT SURGERY ?

  • You look more older than You really feel yourself.
  • Deep wrinkles and folds on the face.
  • The jawline softens into jowls, and beneath the chin, another chin or vertical folds appear at the front of the neck.
  • Deep wrinkles around your nose and mouth.
  • Deep wrinkles on the cheeks and pouches in the face.
  • Loosened skin, wrinkles, vertical folds and fat deposits in the neck.

The face lift can help in all of these. The face lift can not correct all the expectations -sometimes unreal-, which were dreamt by the patients. We can not resolve everything with the operation. On the one hand it has limits by the techniques of the operation, on the other hand just only those corrections can be performed which are fit to the harmony of the face. Face lift is not a solution for eye pouch and fat deposits in the upper and lower eyelids. It will not eliminate the wrinkles around the mouth. These malformations can be removed, but the facial plastic surgery has to be complemented by other procedures ( wrinkle lifting, plastic surgery of the upper and lower eyelids, laser rejuvenation ).

THE FIRST CONSULTATION

At the consultation we will discuss Your problems, expectations and desired outcome. We will talk about everything which is in connection with the facial rejuvenation and important in the aspect of the facial plastic surgery. We will examine the face, the shape of the head and the hairline border, and their proportions to each other. We will put attention to the genetic factors, which can influence the operational plan. We will draw attention to the asymmetry and the neural affection. We will check the quality of the facial skin and the quality and quantity of the fat tissue. There is asymmetry which even can not be corrected with facial plastic surgery. We will give You some advices about those procedures, which can reconstruct the facial appearance. These are usually performed together with the facial plastic surgery: endoscopic forehead plasty, plastic surgery of the upper and lower eyelids, rhinoplasty, laser rejuvenation.

We will take some photographs –from different directions- about the present condition. The photographs allow the patients to examine and evaluate the face from different directions. If there are deeper wrinkles on the face, the facial plastic surgery by itself is not sufficient, other procedures can be necessary to be performed. We will decide the necessity of this together with the patient. We will show You the expected result of the operation in front of a mirror.

You will be asked about Your medical conditions, medical treatment, drug allergies, use of current medications and previous surgeries, procedures. It is very important to get accurate information about every medical conditions to plan the procedure with the best thoughtfulness. After the proper information the well-planned facial rejuvenation will  ensure You the biggest satisfaction.

REVIEW ABOUT THE FACELIFT SURGERY

THINGS TO DO BEFORE THE OPERATION

Before the facial rejuvenation some examinations are necessary to make: blood test, ECG, chest X-ray. With these data the operation will be performed in the best security. If You smoke, take aspirin or other blood thinner medications, or any anti-inflammatory drugs or other medications, please let us know! This drugs can increase bleeding or can cause other interactions during the general anaesthesia.

If your hair is really short, You can make it longer for the period of the scar recovery to hide the scars. It is not necessary to cut your hair for the operation, but it is recommended to wash it before the procedure.

SURGICAL PROCEDURE

Directly before the operation we will perform an antiseptic hairwash.

The facial plastic surgery is almost always performed in general anaesthesia ( in some assorted cases it can be performed in intravenous sedation or local anaesthesia ) with hospital background. For Your security during the surgical procedure which is performed with general anaesthesia we check Your heart rate, heart beat, blood pressure and blood oxygen level with monitors. For Your bigger security antibiotics are administerd during the facial surgery.

In the old times we just detached the loosened skin from its base, and after the tightening we removed the excess of skin. With the modern method we do not only tighten the skin but the fascia under the skin as well, thus the result and its durability will be more satisfactory. By dragging the skin and the underlying tissues into the appopriate direction we reposition them into the original place, thus the youthful facial contour will be reconstructed. The very deep wrinkles can not be eliminated by the procedure itself, but with other complementary procedures they can be reconstructed.

The operation usually affects the lower two-third part of the face and the neck. The facial plastic surgery does not contain the correction of the forehead and the eyelids, but for request –in assorted cases- these can be performed simultaneously with the facial plasty. Usually the best result is the collective correction of the facial skin and the skin of the neck. The facial plasty and the plasty of the neck can be combined with liposuction.

The incisions of the facial rejuvenation procedure is always chosen individually. We make a hidden incision. The longevity and accurate situation of the incision depends on the degree of facial skin sagging. After the total recovery these scars are almost invisible, or they are in partly hidden position. The biggest part of the incisions are in the hairy head skin and behind the ears. Only the incision, which is in front of the ear is placed into a natural fold, which after the recovery is slight like a thread. After the recovery the scars are hidden by the hair and it is easy to remove them by make-up.

After the facial plastic surgery there is always a little amount of leaking blood and oedema, which are eliminated by a drain from the cavity. With this the recovery will be faster and saftier and the post-operational pain will decrease. The drain will be removed the following day of the operation.

At the end of the plastic procedure we cover the wounds with bandages and place a flexible bandage as well.

THINGS TO DO AFTER THE OPERATION

In the case of the operation, which was performed with general anaesthesia, it is practical to spend one night in the hospital. If the operation was performed in intravenous sedation or local anaesthesia, after the surgical procedure it is allowed to go home. After the facial rejuvenation operation it is suggested to relax and spare yourself with due foresight. Between the first and the third days after the operation You can feel more discomfort, but this is just a temporary problem, which is caused by the oedema and the stretching effect of the stitches. The initial decoloration and swelling are just temporary symptoms and disappear fast. Temporary assymetry can be presented on the face, which is caused by oedema and bruises. These will disappear by themselves in a few days. In very rare cases this can last for a few weeks as well, but will disappear without any sign simultaneously with the swelling. These are natural consequences of the operation.

The stitches will be removed after 2 weeks, when the tension is significantly decreased.

It is recommended to sleep with upraised upper body in the following days of the operation and consume easily chewed, mashed food. In the first week after the operation it is prohibited to do any activity which can cause congestion of the face! Eg.: strain, whatever kinds of hot effects, hot, highly seasoned food- and alcohol-consumption.

It is recommended to wear the flexible bandage in the first 1-2 weeks. Six weeks after the operation avoid any stiff sports and physical activity! During this period You have to avoid sunbathing and going to the solarium! Ten days after the operation it is allowed to wash your hair and put a slight make-up which can hide the slight descoloration. It is not allowed to put make-up on the scars! It is forbidden to paint your hair till the end of the total recovery! After the sparing period You have to cover the scar with sun protection cream for a long time!

After every plastic surgical procedures You have to return for follow-up care regularly, thus after the facial plastic surgery as well. The regularity of this depends on the type of the procedure and other personal feautures of the patient. At the previously discussed follow-up cares we will examine the operational area and discuss about the things to do in the future. Please remember that if You have any questions or problems, please do not hesitate to contact us independently the appointment!

FACELIFT SURGERY RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS

If the operation is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon, the operation and the post-surgical recovery period will be without any unexpected episodes. The facial rejuvenation as all other surgical procedures can have complications, even ideally. Besides the generally presented complications ( bleeding, infection, poor healing of incisions ) – which are very rare -, can occur some special complications because of the facial plastic surgery. From these the severest is the malfunction of the facial nerve, which temporary can influence the facial mimics. The direct injury of the nerve (cut-off) usually never occurs in the practice. For an indirect effect a temporary decrease can occur in the neural function. This kind of malfunction is temporary and after a little time will totally disappear. This kind of temporary malfuntion can be caused by temperature-rise through the cauterisation close to the nerve and the compression caused by the compression bandages. These will disappear in a few days. The insensitivity of the ears is rare, which can last for a short time period.

With the most modern devices, materials and stitches which were inserted by the most friendliest techniques it can happen that the colour of the scar will be brisk and red, thick in touch and a little bit widened. This depends on mostly personal liability, thus it can have significant differences. This malformation decreases by the time, thus the scar will be thinner and its colour will lighten. If this does not occur, we remove the scar and treat the new scar with other special scar-treating methods.

Around those incisions which we have placed into the hairy head skin the hair can be sparser, this can occur mostly in persons, who has spare-hair. In this case with a minimal scar correction the complaint can be ceased.

The complications can be vanquished or revised with the appropriate treatments and procedures, thus they do not effect the final result of the operation or slightly influence it.

RESULT

The facial plastic surgery makes the face and neck tighter and more youthful. In reasonable cases the result can be ameliorated with other procedures (endoscpoic forehead plasty, plastic surgery of the eyelids, wrinkle lifting and laser rejuvenation). The facial rejuvenation makes the women and men more self-confidence. You have to notice that the operational scars will lighten by the time and  fade into their environment, but never will be invisible.

The result of facial plasty is long-lasting, but does not take forever. Gravity and changes in the flexibility and water-content of the tissues, other alterations with aging have effect on the quality and quantity of the face and the underlying tissues. These influence the appearance. If the years let sign on the face and on the neck, other facial rejuvenation can be necessary to be performed, which can reconstruct those signs.