Facelift

The facelift (Rhytidectomy) is a surgical procedure used to smooth the loose skin and tissues of your face and neck, reducing the most apparent signs of aging giving you a more youthful, rested appearance. The procedure involves reducing creases from the cheeks and mouth, as well as the sagging jowls and fat deposits around the neck by removing excess fat and tightening underlying muscles and removing excess skin. This procedure can give you a younger, fresher look and have a positive effect on your self-confidence. Facelifts in New Orleans are most commonly performed on patients between 40 to 60 years of age however excellent results can be achieved in patients into their 80's.

The best candidates for facelift are those who:

• Have face and neck skin which has begun to sag but whose skin has elasticity and whose bone structure is strong and well defined
• Have lost a well defined jaw line due to sagging jowls
• Have deep wrinkles in the cheeks
• Have loose skin, wrinkles, or excess fatty tissue in the neck

An ideal facelift patient may be described as someone who is unhappy with the way his/her face and neck has aged, has good facial skin elasticity, and is seeking improvement rather than perfection.

The Surgery

During surgery, Dr. Graham works to remove excess tissue from the face and neck and tighten the underlying muscles. A facelift is performed through incisions around the natural contour of your ear and within your hairline, along with a small incision under your chin. This helps camouflage any scarring which can be further masked by make-up or hairstyling. All dressings and sutures are removed within one week, at which time make-up may be used. A true face lift procedure addresses the lower two-thirds of the aging face. This is oftentimes combined with other procedures such as brow lift and/or blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) to create a "complete" makeover.

Recovery

All dressings and sutures are removed within one week, at which time make-up may be used. When full results are in effect, the patient can enjoy diminished signs of fine lines and wrinkles.

Endoscopic Surgery: Facelift

Endoscopic or minimally invasive surgical procedures are those that use an instrument called an endoscope along with a specialized camera and video equipment as well as specialized instrumentation to perform surgical procedures through smaller incisions. The endoscope has been used for many years in a number of different procedures by orthopedic, urologic and gynecologic surgeons. In the early 1990s this technology was introduced in plastic surgery and I was fortunate to be at its forefront becoming a pioneer in the development and implementation in this field.

Endoscopic techniques in my practice are applied mainly to rejuvenation of the forehead and brow complex (see forehead / brow lift section) with or without accompanying rejuvenation of the midface. The midface lift may also be performed alone in order to accomplish cheek elevation in patients who do not need neck and jowl lifting. This is typically seen in the younger end of the facelift candidate population.