A newsletter from David J. Levens, MD, FACS
Board-certified plastic surgeon
Please contact me for a free consultation with Dr. Levens.
Case Study: Lower Facelift & Necklift
“When I first consulted with Dr. Levens, he told me he didn’t feel I needed surgery yet, that various non-invasive techniques could be used until the skin sagging became more pronounced,” recalls Donna, 57, of Parkland. “I had consulted with another plastic surgeon who had recommended several aggressive procedures. So I was very impressed with Dr. Levens’ honesty. He put my interests first and didn’t want to encourage surgery he felt was premature. He sent me home—twice—to give it more thought.
“But the jowls bothered me,” Donna says, “and the skin under my neck was dropping. I’ve had tracheal surgery and the skin was pooling around the scar. It was the kind of thing other people might not notice but sometimes you catch glimpses of yourself that others don’t see. I wasn’t trying to look 20, but I wanted to see some improvement.”
The results?
“Dr. Levens told me the improvement would only be slight but it doesn’t seem slight to me,” Donna says. “It’s exactly what I wanted.”
The Procedure: Dr. Levens makes small incisions within the hair at the temples, in the skin creases in front of and behind the ears, and within the hair behind the ears. (Location of incisions can vary). Then, he gently elevates the skin and deeper facial tissue. Next, the skin and deeper tissue are lifted very carefully in a generally backward and upward direction to reposition and retighten them in a more satisfactory location.
“Some tissue characteristics present special challenges which can impact the level of success which can be achieved by a facelift,” Dr. Levens explains. “These include thick, heavy, oily skin, sun damaged skin, excessive or inadequate fatty tissue, and changes in tissue resulting from previous surgical procedures. In most cases, there are techniques that can be used to compensate for special tissue challenges.”
After a facelift, most patients have scars that are undetectable when covered with makeup. The quality of the scars depends on each individual’s healing characteristics.
Dr. Levens prefers to have patients monitored for at least one night after a facelift for observational purposes and to enhance rest. The goal is for the patient to remain quiet with their head elevated and someone to attend to her/his needs. This will promote the least possible swelling and bruising and the fastest recovery.