The best facelift surgeons attended a conference in Miami to discuss nuances and refinements in facelift surgery. Mr Chana attended this conference where the latest techniques were debated. This conference which is called the Baker Gordon symposium is held every year in Miami and has an international reputation for the advancement of plastic surgery techniques.
The main advancements have been in refinements in the techniques to lift and suspend the deeper layers of the face called the SMAS. There is also a growing trend towards a volumetric approach to facelifts with fat transfer becoming a routine part of facial rejuvenation. It is now widely recognised that the loss of volume from the face causes a deflation of the face as you age and is one of the main contributory factors of the ageing face. As a result, techniques to replace the volume have a significant influence on improving results from facelift surgery. Some of the results shown by surgeons from New York, Miami and San Francisco were truly spectacular and such techniques are likely to become commonplace in the next few years. Mr Chana has already been using these techniques in his practice for the past few years and you can read about facelift surgery as well as a fat transfer for facial rejuvenation.
Tightening the deeper tissues
The high SMAS technique was a common theme with most surgeons using this technique due to the powerful effect it has on elevating the sagging tissues of the face. The SMAS is a supporting layer under the skin of the face. When this layer of tissue is elevated the effect is the correction of jowls and elevation of the cheek and it also has some effect on elevating the neck. There are various other methods of elevating the lax tissues of the face which include simple suturing techniques called a plication or removing a strip of SMAS and stitching the edges together which is called a SMAsectomy. Different surgeons will have a different opinion on which is the best technique but also the technique which works best for one surgeon may not work for another. The most important factor is producing the best and most reliable result and, in this respect, the high SMAS technique is frequently being used by most of the best facelift surgeons as being a consistent method for achieving effective results.
Fat Transfer
The addition of fat to the face restores the volume lost as a person ages. Fat is usually harvested using liposuction from the abdomen or thighs. This fat is then centrifuged and the healthy fat cells extracted and prepared into syringes. The fat is then very carefully injected using very fine needles into various areas of the face such as the mid cheek area under the eyes which commonly hollows with age. It also is used for the hollows in the temple area and grooves either side of the nose and lips.
Correction of the neck during facelift surgery
There are two ways of performing a correction of the neck during a facelift. One is by pulling the neck tissues and the neck muscle (platysma) to the side and placing tightening stitches under the skin on the side of the neck before closing the skin. The other technique is to make an opening in the crease under the chin and the stitch the neck muscle (platysma) together in the midline. This is called a platysmaplasty. The trend discussed at the Baker Gordon conference was that the platysmaplasty provides a more effective result to correction of the ageing effects of the neck but more importantly is longer lasting. Of course, all patients are different and this may not be needed in every case.
All of these techniques have already been routinely employed by Mr Chana in his practice. Mr Chana always stays at the forefront of any advances in plastic surgery techniques. If you would like further information please contact him at the number below.