Rhytidectomy

This procedure aims to stretch the facial skin by removing the excess facial skin and relocate it in the facial structure, to improve the different angles and to attenuate the wrinkles, produced by the aging process and the loss of tissue support due to gravity.
This process, plus the exposure to sun light, bad skin care and loss of collagen fibers and muscular activity, produces wrinkles in the skin and distorts the natural angles of the face.
With the face lift procedure, although the youth doesn't return, it allows the patient to relocate the facial tissues, to attenuate this aging process and regenerate her facial contour again.

This procedure can be carried out as an isolated procedure or along with other procedures like eyelid surgery or nose surgery (Rhinoplasty). It is a frequent procedure in adults in their near 40’s, men and women that want to improve their facial aesthetic aspect.

Pre-surgical Evaluation

The patients should discuss with the Plastic Surgeon the real possibilities of improvement with this procedure, likewise this first interview should be aimed to clarify the patient's medical history, illnesses, smoking history, medication taken lately, drugs that affect blood clotting like: steroids, aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamin E, etc.

The patients with smoking history should suspend it two weeks before and two weeks after the procedure, clarifying that this it is a precedent that must be taken care of because nicotine causes micro circulation damage.
The patients with smoking history should suspend it two weeks before and two after the procedure, clarifying that this it is an antecedent that has to be taken care of because it causes damage to micro circulation, which is produced by nicotine.

Surgical Procedure

The face lift is a delicate and detailed practiced by the Plastic Surgeon. It can be carried out with General anesthesia and in very particular patients with local Anesthesia plus sedation, since this procedure lasts approximately 5 to 7 hours. It requires a special operative preparation to allow the Surgeon to place the incisions immediately in the scalp above the auricular pavilion, surrounding it and in the rear part to ensure that at the end the scars will not be very visible in most of the patients that don't have any alteration in their scaring process.

The skin of the cheeks is taken off the muscles and is lifted as necessary, it is tensed to remove the skin surplus and relocated to recover the facial angles, and equally the muscles of the face can be relocated by means of tension sutures to give a better stability to the facial tissues. The patient can also use other surgical procedures like facial implant of synthetic material or relocation of the patients same fat tissue to improve the facial contour when it is required.

Post-Surgical Recommendations

When concluding the procedure the patient will have a bandage that will cover all their FACE. This bandage is used initially to fix the tissues and to avoid as much as possible the bleeding and Hematoma formation and will de removed and changed 2 4 hours alter. Then the patient will be able to wash the hair and remove the excesses of spare hair as a result of the surgical procedure. We recommend a Shampoo including rinse and then to use a wide teeth comb before rinsing the hair to make this cleaning more effective.

The patient is allowed to go home the following day and the use of cold compresses is recommended to diminish the edema and the postoperative pain being careful of not burning the skin with the applied cold. It is recommended to sleep with the head at 45°; you can use pillows for this purpose. The patient can and should stroll in their house and take the pain and anti-inflammatory medicine recommended. Smokers must abstain from smoking for 24 hours and reduce activities that require visual effort if the surgery was carried out together with a blepharoplasty.

The patient should return to the clinic on the fourth day to remove the eyelid stitches, the seventh day to remove the facial stitches and on the fourteenth day to remove the scalp stitches.

If Hematoma are formed the patient must use cold water cloths during the first three days and cloths of lukewarm water starting from the fourth day on with arnica to help reduce the effects very quickly. The use of solar protector during the first three months is recommended to avoid skin pigmentation and to abstain from tanning during this time. The patient will be able to put on makeup after the first week and to resume their daily activities. Exercise and other physical activities can be resumed after the first post-surgical month.

Possible Complications

There are really very few being the main one bleeding. If a Hematoma occurs and there is a delay in its evacuation the patient may present necrosis or skin death. This is why if any sudden pain occurs the doctor should be consulted immediately. Transitory or definitive facial paralysis can also occur, but it is strange; in few cases infection and alterations of the scaring process may require altering the result in a second surgery to ensure a well camouflaged scar.

Time needed to remain in Cali

8 days.

Contact Dr. Bernardo Camacho right now to get more information!

Before and after photos rhytidectomy

• Rhytidectomy before Rhytidectomy before
• Rhytidectomy after Rhytidectomy after
• Rhytidectomy before Rhytidectomy before
• Rhytidectomy after Rhytidectomy after
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