The facelift operation is designed to provide a more youthful appearance. This is accomplished by removing excess facial and neck skin, as well as lifting areas of sagging skin and fat back to where they were when you were younger. Full facelifts are done in the hospital under general anesthesia while mini-facelifts, aimed specifically at correcting facial jowls, can be done in the office.

       Routine laboratory testing is often performed and photographs are taken to assess post-operative effectiveness.

       No aspirin, ibuprofen, or similar drugs should be taken within two weeks of surgery. These medications can cause serious excess bleeding during, and after, the operation. If you have any questions about drugs you are taking, including over the counter preparations and natural herbs, please call the office.

       Smoking can cause significant healing problems with any operation. Facelifts, however, are exquisitely sensitive to smoking. Patients who smoke should quit at least three weeks prior to surgery and remain free of smoke for three weeks post operatively, or preferably, for life. If you do not quit, you must tell me prior to surgery so modifications to the surgery can be made, otherwise significant complications may arise.

       Men should not shave their face for two days prior to surgery in order to better assess their beard growth for proper scar placement.

       If you are having a full facelift, you should be at the office surgicenter or hospital at least 90 minutes prior to your scheduled surgical start time. Bring all paperwork from the office with you, as many of these papers will save time on the day of surgery. Mini-facelift patients should be at the office 1 hour prior to the scheduled start time.

       Before the surgery, lines will be drawn on your face to guide the incision placement. A small strip of hair may be shaved on the sides and back of your head and rubber bands may be used to keep your hair away from the incisions.

       During the procedure the skin of the face will be lifted and the layer beneath the skin (SMAS) will be tightened. The skin will then be redraped in an upward fashion and the excess skin cut away. Fat may be removed from the area below the chin if needed. Additional fat may be taken from the abdomen and injected to facial lines around the mouth to help rejuvenate the area. Additional fat is often added to the lips to correct thinning that comes with age. A small piece of cartilage may be taken from your ear and placed at the base of the nose near the upper lip. This helps correct the look of an aging, drooping, nose and keeps your entire face looking younger with minimal pain or expense.

       Mini-facelift patients go home after the procedure and will follow up in the office the next day. Full facelift patients will stay in the hospital overnight. This is a safety measure. Though serious complications are rare, I believe that the few hundred dollars spent to ensure your safety is clearly worthwhile. Pain is usually minimal. The nurses will repeatedly check you overnight. In the morning the dressings and drains will be removed and the nurse will wash your hair.

       Once you are home you can shower normally. A small amount of blood may be left in your hair and rinse out at home in the shower. Do not worry. A small amount of dried blood can look much worse than it really is. You may shower daily but do not color or perm your hair for 2 weeks.

• Do not lift anything heavy or exercise for two weeks.
• Do not take aspirin, ibuprofen, or similar drugs for two weeks. Use Tylenol for headaches and the pain medicine prescribed for surgical pain.
• The stitches will be removed 6-8 days after surgery.