Facelift Complications

Complications following facelift surgery or rhytidectomy can be devastating, particularly because of the elective nature of this procedure. As with all surgical procedures, complication prevention is paramount. Although facelift surgery is one of the safest cosmetic procedures available, any operation comes with the possibility of complications. There are postoperative face-lift complications unique to a facelift. Surgery causes injury to the nerves that control facial muscles resulting in unnatural looks. There may be problems with healing of the skin after surgery. Scarring - there will be some scarring, although the surgeon will always try to hide the face-lift scars. Long-term numbness or tingling around the incision areas may occur. In addition to the specific facelift problems, there is the potential for general surgery problem. Reaction to the anesthesia – some face lift patients experience nausea and general sickness after receiving anesthesia; this is a short-lasting side effect and usually diminishes completely after a few hours. Hematoma – if bleeding occurs under the skin, a hematoma can develop, leaving the area painfully swollen; an operation is required to stop the flow and remove the blood. Bleeding – although some light, postoperative bleeding is normal, uncontrolled bleeding is dangerous and can lead to painful hematomas. Infection – typically occurring in a specific area, symptoms of infection are swelling, sensitivity, redness, and localized heat. Unless it is severe, an infection can be relieved with antibiotics. With the increasing popularity of cosmetic surgery, more and more individuals who have previously undergone facelift require facelift revision surgery. Correcting problems with Rhytidectomy Surgery is becoming more common. Time does not stop after a facelift. In fact, depending on the lift was and which procedures along with it, it may deteriorate faster than usual and distort the features in new ways. A better understanding of the structure of the face, especially the developments that lie behind the cheek lift, allows skilled plastic surgeons to perform revision on facelift surgeries that have not held up so well over time and even those that have immediately resulted in unsatisfactory appearances. A secondary facelift, or facelift revision, can correct most common problems associated with traditional facelift methods and help patients avoid problems in the future. The most obvious problem associated with the traditional facelift is a “swept-back” look or “lateral sweep” of the lower face. The direction of pull for traditional facelifts is in one direction only: toward the ear. As time goes by, the lower face stays up but the un-lifted deep structures of the upper cheek continue to fall “down,” thus creating a sweep toward the ear that gets progressively worse. This is more obvious in patients with dry, sun-damaged skin, since the natural lines of the face are into an unnatural pattern.