Rhytidectomy (facelift)
A rhytidectomy, or facelift, is a surgical procedure to improve the face’s appearance and to lessen the visible signs of aging. This intervention allows to improve the looks of the forehead, the cheeks and the neck.
Forehead lift
A forehead and eyebrow lift is a surgical procedure used to lift up the eyebrows, to smooth out the forehead area and to treat a certain number of muscles that create wrinkles.
A thorough evaluation of the eyebrows’ positioning is an integral part of any surgical procedure involving the eyelids and vice-versa. Sagging eyebrows will contribute to the drooping of the upper eyelids, and must therefore be treated concomitantly.
Thanks to the introduction of non-surgical procedures such Botox injections, forehead facelifts are less commonly used now, but remain a very interesting option in case of severe sagging of the eyebrows.
Demi-lift ou mini-lift
Le demi-lift, ou mini-lift, est une procédure chirurgicale visant à améliorer l’aspect central du visage, à savoir les rides profondes aux joues et au coin de la bouche ainsi que le relâchement des tissus aux pommettes et les bajoues. Il s’agit d’une procédure plus facile impliquant moins de convalescence que le lift complet classique.
Midface lift, demi-lift or mini-lift
A midface lift, also called ademi-lift or a mini-lift, is a surgical procedure used to improve the looks of the mid-portion of the face, to lessen deep wrinkles on the cheeks and around the mouth as well as to tighten up sagging skin at the cheekbones and the jowls. Compared to a full facelift, this procedure is simpler and the healing period is reduced.
Full facelift or cervicofacial facelift
A full facelift, or cervicofacial facelift, involves the above-mentioned midface lift and corrective procedures to the neck area, i.e. smoothing out sagging skin, removing excess fat deposits under the chin (double chin), and tightening up loose muscles that can cause two unwanted vertical lines to appear in this area.
Facial lipoinjection
Fat can be used in many ways in face reconstruction and plastic surgery procedures, and it contains several types of cells involved in the tissues’ regeneration process.
A lipoinjection consists in the injection of fat cells to build up volume and to fill in unwanted depressions. It is essentially used to add volume to the cheekbone area, to correct depressions under the eyes and to fill in deep wrinkles. It is often performed concomitantly with other surgical procedures such as a rhytidectomy (facelift) or a blepharoplasty.
Before the procedure
During your first visit to the clinic, we will discuss in detail what you would like done to your face. We will then evaluate the quality of your skin, wrinkles and sagging skin, and I will explain what can be corrected through surgery as well as what can be achieved through non-surgical procedures.
We will also discuss the surgery itself, the risks associated with such an intervention, the incisions to be made as well as the convalescence period following surgery. If a lipoinjection is deemed necessary to improve the looks of certain areas of your face, we will discuss the areas where the fat can be taken from.
Surgical procedure
This procedure can be performed either under local anesthesia paired with sedation or under general anesthesia. When under sedation, patients feel slightly groggy, which keeps them comfortable throughout the procedure. The procedure itself will take between two and five hours, depending on the complexity of the work to be done.
Incisions will be camouflaged within the hairline area, in the natural folds in front of the ears or behind the ears, depending on the area of the face involved (forehead, face, and neck). In certain cases, a small incision under the chin may be necessary in order to optimize the work done in the neck area.
This is a same-day surgery procedure. You will therefore be allowed to return home after a short stay in the recovery room. Dressings will be present around your head, and they must remain in place for two to three days.
Convalescence
During the first days following the procedure, we recommend that you stay home and rest. You may go back to your normal activities after two weeks, but you must refrain from any strenuous physical activity for the first six weeks following the operation.
We also recommend that you rest as much as possible, and that you sleep in a semi-reclining position in order to reduce puffiness. You must also avoid bending your head forward.
You must not apply makeup to your face before all of the incisions are thoroughly healed.
Puffiness and bruising will be present for at least two weeks following the procedure. You can wear a special pressure bandage on your face to help reduce puffiness and to minimize the bleeding risk.
A drainage tube may left in place after the surgery. It will be removed after a few days. We will be using a combination of dissolving stitches and regular stitches to close up the incisions. The regular stitches will be removed one week after the procedure.
- Bleeding and hematoma (accumulation of blood occurring during surgery that must be drained away using a drainage tube)
- Infection
- Dehiscence (opening up of the incision)
- Nerve damage (sensory or motor nerve)
- Skin necrosis (because the blood flow to the skin has been cut; this complication is more common in patients who smoke)
- Asymmetry
- Numbness
- Visible scars
Most complications, if they occur, can be treated without additional surgery and are only temporary in nature. Only in rare cases do we have to go back to the operating room. Complications may, however, push back slightly the time at which final results are achieved.
You must imperatively avoid using tobacco products for at least two months prior to the date of the surgery and after the surgery.
Plan to be away from the public eye for at least three weeks after the surgery if you wish to avoid questions about your face. After that period of time, you should feel sufficiently at ease with the results of the surgery to resume your normal activities.
The effects of the facelift should last about ten years. This may of course vary somewhat from one person to another depending on various factors such as smoking, exposure to the sun, postsurgical complications, and genetics.
Note that a second or more rhytidectomies can be performed over time, if necessary.