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Cervical Lifting, Neck Lifting
Jowl Surgery
The lower third facelift or lower facelift is a plastic surgery procedure that rejuvenates the face by improving the appearance of an aging face and neck.
The new techniques available to us now are completely different from those of the past, when surgeons removed tissue that today is considered vital to reshape the volume of the face, and also tightened skin, producing a taut and unnatural appearance that looked obviously surgical.
The latest concept in this type of procedure is the repositioning of inner tissues that become lax with age. Inner structures are restored to youthful positions, creating a natural and harmonious looking face, just as it was before the first signs of aging began.
These modern techniques have also the advantage of ensuring minimal scarring; that is why this procedure is called short scar lifting. It is performed through a small incision in front of the ear, avoiding the terrible complications associated with scars extending behind the ears.
Another advantage is that the procedure is performed using an endoscopic lift or endolifting technique by which soft inner structures are fixed to an anchor point. This technique gets more lasting results and avoids the usual deformities caused by attaching these inner structures to tissue that is near the eyes or the ears, producing windblown looks, bat-shaped ears, and deformed or non-existent earlobes.
The technique we currently used is called face and neck (or jowl) lifting with sub-auricular fixation (S.A.F.), which prevents the complications described above.
Many times lower or cervical lift is associated with endoscopic lifting or endolifting, which rejuvenates the lower and middle thirds of the face. Other times it is associated with endoscopic blepharoplasty, which targets the reduction of eye wrinkles and bags, lifts eyebrow tails, and obliterates lower eyelid folds (orbicular rim, tear-trough deformity, and the popular nasolabial fold).
Face and cervical lifting can be performed under local anesthesia.
The patient may also be put under sedation to be out of pain and relaxed.
The type of anesthesia required should be discussed with the surgeon, according to the type of procedure and the patient’s options.
On account of all this, patients can expect a short recovery period and very mild post-surgery discomfort. Most patients go back to their daily routine about a week after the procedure.
Hector G. Pinta, M.D.
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