MODIFIED S LIFT OF THE LOWER FACE

Postoperative pain is mild and well controlled with oral pain medication. There is a moderate degree of facial swelling and bruising. The face feels tight. The stitches are removed after one week. A compressive recovery garment is worn continuously for the first two weeks. Thereafter, it is worn at night for the next two weeks. It takes two to three weeks for enough swelling to subside and for some relaxation of the lifted tissues to occur, so that the face looks presentable. The downtime is therefore two to three weeks.

By about one month, the face is usually looking fairly natural. Exercise can be resumed at this time.

The results typically last for five to ten years.

Overall this is a safe technique as the plane of surgical dissection and the method of tightening the facial muscles avoids the branches of the facial nerve. The risk of injuring this nerve is therefore very low. Optimal healing of the wounds requires adequate blood supply to the skin. Risk factors that compromise the skin’s blood supply include diabetes and smoking. Diabetes must therefore be well controlled and smoking must be discontinued at least one month before and after the surgery. General surgical risks such as blood loss and infection are also very low.