How a Deep Plane Facelift Procedure Is Performed

This video explains how a deep plane facelift is performed, from the initial surgical steps to recovery after the procedure. It outlines how the underlying facial tissues are repositioned, how the neck is addressed, and what patients can expect in the days following surgery.

Transcript:

So this I hope will not be scary for us, but I think it would be interesting and important to know. If I have a concern around my face, maybe my jowls, maybe my neck, and I come to you to have a treatment, how does it work?How does the whole process work?

You mean the surgery, yes. The deep plane facelift. It is important for you to remember that it is virtually a painless procedure for you. It is done under general anaesthesia. It is very delicate surgery where, as a surgeon, one has to be very confident working around the nerves of your face. It is not something that one can do in a hurry. It takes on average three to four hours to do both the face and the neck on both sides.

Once you are asleep under anaesthesia, what the surgeon does is place some cuts on your skin which are hidden either within your hair or behind your ears. From there, we go slightly under the skin. The distinct part of a deep plane facelift is that we go under a layer, what we call the SMAS. This is the layer that your muscles work on. We go deep to that layer and then we release the ligaments which are holding it in place.

We go right ahead in front of your face to make sure that this whole layer is completely released. Then I pull it back and anchor it with some deep sutures in a much more natural, uplifted position. The difference from a skin lift is that I have not pulled the skin as such. I pull the underlying tissue in an elevated position, and then whatever excess skin there is is trimmed off and the face is closed.

It is usually combined with removal of excess fat from the neck, which is done through a small incision under your chin. From there, we do the same thing on the neck. We remove the excess fat and then tighten the neck.

After the surgery, you usually wake up with a very small drain which is removed the next day. You have a head bandage and you are given some medication to keep yourself comfortable. That is the end of surgery. Most people, or almost all patients, are very comfortable after surgery. They do not complain of any significant pain. They are able to eat, drink, and even walk the same day as the surgery.

The next day after the operation, we remove all the dressings and give you a special garment to keep things in place. We remove all the stitches the following week after surgery. You can virtually go back to your normal day-to-day activity by the end of seven to ten days.

Welcome to the British Face Clinic. We understand that making decisions surrounding cosmetic surgery can be difficult and sometimes frustrating. We invite you to give us a call so we can discuss the different options available to you and help you decide if we are the right choice for you.