Facelift Procedure

What is a Facelift?

A facelift, also known as rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure to improve visible signs of aging on the face and neck.

Enhancing Your Appearance With a Facelift

As we get into our fifties and beyond, we inevitably begin to notice some changes in our appearance. The soft tissues of the face begin to sag off the facial bones. Facial fat is lost from some areas and seems to increase in others. If you’re bothered by these signs of aging, a facelift can take years off your appearance and let you show to the world a more youthful version of yourself.

A facelift can improve:

• Sagging in the mid-face
• Deep creases below the lower eyelids
• Deep creases along the nose extending to the corner of the mouth
• Fat that has fallen or is displaced
• Loss of muscle tone in the lower face that can create jowls
• Loose skin and excess fatty deposits under the chin and jaw, giving the appearance of a double chin

In conjunction with a facelift, we usually need to consider the sagging of eyelids or brows with eyelid surgery (also known as blepharoplasty) and possibly a brow lift. Quite frequently, we also recommend removing any sun damage, hyperpigmentation or broken vessels and smoothing the facial skin texture using some type of laser treatment.

What a Facelift Won’t Do:

A facelift will not change your fundamental appearance and cannot stop the aging process. But, it will correct the signs of aging that have already taken place.

A facelift is a surgical procedure; non-surgical rejuvenation treatments cannot achieve the same results, but may help delay the time when a facelift becomes appropriate and complement the results of your surgery.

Is a Facelift Right For Me?

A facelift is a highly individualized surgery, and you should do it for yourself – not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. Facelift surgery is a good option for you if:

• You are physically healthy
• You don’t smoke
• You have a positive outlook and specific, but realistic goals in mind for the improvement of your appearance

What To Expect During Your Consultation With Dr. Bruce Van Natta

A safe and successful facelift depends very much on your being completely candid during your consultation. Be sure to address any problems, concerns and questions with Dr. Van Natta. He will ask you a number of questions about your health, desires and lifestyle.

Be Prepared To Discuss:

• Why you want a facelift, your expectations and desired outcome
• Medical conditions, drug allergies and medical treatments
• Use of current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drugs
• Previous surgeries

Dr. Van Natta May Also:

• Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
• Discuss the options available to you for facelift and facial rejuvenation
• Examine and measure your face
• Take photographs for your medical record
• Discuss likely outcomes of a facelift and any risks or potential complications
• Discuss the type of anesthesia that will be used

Preparing For Facelift Surgery

Prior To Surgery, You May Be Asked To:

• Get lab testing or a general medical evaluation
• Take certain medications or adjust your current medications
• Stop smoking well in advance of surgery
• Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding

Special Instructions You Receive Will Cover:

• What to do on the night before and morning of your surgery
• The use of anesthesia during your facelift
• Post-operative care and follow-up

Your procedure will be performed at Meridian Plastic Surgery Center, an accredited office-based surgical center, utilizing seasoned, board certified anesthesiologists from St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana.

You’ll Need Help

Be sure to arrange for someone to drive you to and from surgery and to stay with you for at least the first night following surgery.

Procedural Steps

What Happens During Facelift Surgery?

Step 1 – Anesthesia

You will have a general anesthetic administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist.

A variety of other procedures can further enhance the results of a facelift and may be performed in conjunction with your surgery. These include:

• Facial implants
• Soft tissue augmentation to re-contour the facial structure
• Eyelid surgery
• Browlift
• Resurfacing techniques (such as a laser procedure) to improve the tone and texture of facial skin
• Injectibles to improve the appearance of wrinkles

Step 2 – The Incision

Depending on the degree of change you’d like to see, your facelift choices include a traditional procedure, or a limited incision facelift.

A traditional facelift incision typically begins in the hairline at the temples, continues around the ear and ends in the lower scalp. Fat may be sculpted or redistributed from the face, jowls and neck, and underlying tissue is repositioned. Often, the deeper layers of the face and the muscles are also lifted.

Skin is re-draped over the uplifted contours, and excess skin is trimmed away. A second incision under the chin may be necessary to further improve the look of an aging neck. Sutures or skin adhesives are used to close the incisions.

Traditional Facelift

Limited Incision

(Illustrations courtesy of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons)

Step 3 – See the Results

Once healed, the incision lines from a facelift are well concealed within the hairline and in the natural contours of the face and ear. The visible improvements of your new look appear as the swelling and bruising subside. Your final result should not only restore a more youthful and rested appearance, but also help to improve your self-confidence.

Important Facts About Facelift Risks and Complications

The decision to have a facelift is extremely personal. You’ll have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications are acceptable to your personal situation.

Dr. Van Natta and/or his staff will explain in detail the risks associated with surgery. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure you will undergo and any risks and potential complications.

The Risks of Facelift Include:

• Unfavorable scarring
• Bleeding (hematoma)
• Infection
• Poor wound healing
• Anesthesia risks
• Correctable hair loss at the incisions
• Facial nerve injury with weakness
• Facial asymmetry
• Skin loss
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Fatty tissue found deep in the skin might die (fat necrosis)
• Fluid accumulation
• Pain, which may persist
• Skin contour irregularities
• Skin discoloration, sensitivity or swelling
• Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation that require removal
• Unsatisfactory results may include asymmetry, unsatisfactory surgical scar location, unacceptable visible deformities at the ends of the incisions (It may be necessary to perform additional surgery to improve your results)
• Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications (Very rare)
• Possibility of revision surgery

These risks and others will be fully discussed prior to your consent. It is important that you address all your questions directly with Dr. Van Natta. It is natural to feel some anxiety, whether excitement for the anticipated outcomes or preoperative stress. Be sure to discuss these feelings with Dr. Van Natta during your consultation.

When You Go Home

If you experience shortness of breath, chest pains, or unusual heart beats, seek medical attention immediately. If any of these complications occur, you may require hospitalization and additional treatment. The practice of medicine and surgery is not an exact science. Although good results are expected, there is no guarantee. In some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure. Another surgery may be necessary.

Your Recovery

Following Dr. Van Natta’s instructions is key to the success of your surgery. It is important that the surgical incisions are not subjected to excessive force, swelling, abrasion, or motion during the time of healing. Avoid wearing any clothing that must be pulled over your head. Dr. Van Natta will give you specific instructions on how to care for yourself.

When your procedure is completed, a bandage will be placed around your face to minimize swelling and bruising. A thin tube will be inserted to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect under the skin.

Specific Instructions May Include:

• How to care for the surgical site
• Medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the potential for infection
• Specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in overall health
• When to follow up with Dr. Van Natta

Long-Lasting Facelift Results

It may take several months for your swelling to fully dissipate and up to 6 months for incision lines to mature (heal). Life-long sun protection will be very important to help to maintain your rejuvenated appearance by minimizing damage from the sun and other environmental elements. Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle will also help extend your facelift results.

Facelift Costs

As an elective surgery, the cost of a facelift is always a consideration. Prices for facelifts can vary widely. A surgeon’s cost may vary based on his or her experience and the type of procedure being performed – and whether additional surgery (i.e., browlift or eyelid surgery) is also being considered. Remember, cost is not everything. It is extremely important to have a board-certified plastic surgeon perform your procedure.

Typically, health insurance does not cover the cost of facelift. Our practice offers patient financing plans, so be sure to ask us about this option.

Facelift Surgery Costs May Include:

• Surgeon’s fee
• Surgical facility costs
• Anesthesia fees
• Prescriptions for medication
• Post-surgery garments, and
• Medical tests

Your Satisfaction Involves More Than a Fee

Your satisfaction involves more than a fee. When choosing a plastic surgeon for a facelift, remember that the surgeon’s experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for.

Facelift Glossary

• General anesthesia: Drugs and/or gases used during an operation to relieve pain and alter consciousness.
• Hematoma: Blood pooling beneath the skin.
• Intravenous sedation: Sedatives administered by injection into a vein to help you relax.
• Tear trough: Deep creases below the lower eyelids.
• Nasolabial fold: Deep creases between the nose and cheek
• Jowls: A jaw line that sags into the neck, usually caused by loss of muscle tone in the lower face.
• Rhytidectomy: A surgical procedure also known as facelift, to reduce sagging of the mid-face, jowls and neck.

Things You Should Know About Dr. Van Natta:

• He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
• He was trained specifically in the field of plastic surgery and had 5 years of general surgery training as well as 2 ½ years of plastic surgery training.
• He also has hospital privileges to perform this procedure at St. Vincent Hospital.
• He has been in practice more than 22 years.
• His surgical facility, Meridian Plastic Surgery Center, is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, and it is state-licensed and Medicare-certified.

How are complications handled? If you experience a rare complication requiring reoperation, Dr. Van Natta often won’t charge for his services, but you may well have additional expenses for the operating room as well as anesthesia.