Facelift Operation

Over the years, some changes occur on our face due to the force of gravity and time. The fullness of the face is an indication of youth and young people do not have wrinkles on their face. The fat in our face decreases and slides downwards, the lines of mimic deepen, the skin loses its elasticity and sagging occurs. After the fat tissue on the cheekbones slides down, collapses under eyes and deepening of the cheek lip intersection (nasolabial groove) occur. These changes are usually accompanied by changes in the neck area, and an old face image appears. It is aimed to reverse these changes that occur over time with facelift operation.

The main objectives of this operation are; tightening of the sagging skin, removal of excess skin, and pulling the soft tissue, which has slipped downward, upward again with appropriate vectorial angles. For some people, the reinforcement of the soft tissue, which decreases by a significant amount, by fat tissue to obtain a fuller facial contour is now a component of the facelift operation. In cases where the cavities under the eyes were not able to be fully filled following the facelift procedure, fat filling makes a significant contribution to the youthful appearance of the face.

How is Facelift Operation Performed?

In the classical facelift operation, an incision is made starting from inside the scalp above the ear and proceeding downwards in front of the ears and then moving to the back of the ear. The facial skin is lifted from this incision region. Then the anatomical structure on the face, called SMAS, is cut, pulled upwards and stitched again or folded on itself without being cut and stitched. Even though there are some opinions that these interventions on SMAS yield more successful results in facelift operations and prolong the impact duration, it cannot be said that there is the consensus of all plastic surgeons in this.

Modified shapes (mid-face lift, high-smas, extended high smas) of the above-mentioned classical facelift operation are performed and evaluated by the doctor based on the patient’s need.

How long does facelift operation take and what are the possible complications?

Facelift operations are relatively long-lasting operations and an operation lasts for 4 hours on average depending on the nature of the surgical procedure. The most feared complication is the damage of the motor nerve called Nervus Facialis, which enables the movement of the facial muscles. In this case, facial muscles may have partial movement loss, but in most patients, this is caused by a transient neuropraxia (which may be evaluated to be the temporary non-functionality of the nerve) and recovers over time.

In heavy smokers, opening in the stitches can be seen in facelift operation as is the case in most of the aesthetic operations.

Another complication is the accumulation of blood in the operation field (hematoma). The face has an incredibly rich vascular network, and the operation is continued by burning the tip of the bleeding vessels. Sometimes the patient recovers from anaesthesia with effort, or opening of these vessels occurs for reasons such as post-operative sudden blood pressure increase, coughing, sneezing, or hitting somewhere. In this case, the blood spreads as leakage and accumulates under the skin. If the leak is prevented after being noticed through an early detection and if the drain inserted during the operation is sufficient to collect the leaked blood, no additional intervention is required. In some cases, it may be necessary to open the surgical area, remove the accumulated blood and control the bleeding, and find and burn the blood leaky vein again.

How much younger do I get after facelift operation?

It is not possible to give a standard answer to this question for everyone. The gains will vary depending on the age of the person, the deformation on the face, and the technique to be applied. However, our patients, who are going to be operated and are around 60 years of age, state that they feel 10-15 years younger.

At what age can facelift operation be performed?

The most common facelift patients are women over 55 years of age, however, patients, with face sagging in a way which does not match the age, are candidates for mid-facelift surgery towards the end of their thirties. Patients who are planning to have an operation at an early age should clearly share their desired gains with their doctors and should clearly understand what their doctors tell. When the patient and the doctor mutually express their opinions clearly and understand each other well, there is no obstacle to having the operation at an early age.

How is the recovery process after facelift?

The patient is hospitalized for 1 night after the operation, and the average recovery period is between 7-10 days.

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