What to Expect with Necklift Surgery:
As
we age, our skin loses tone and begins to sag. However, skin frequently
has tremendous ability to retract into a more youthful position. Even
some relatively young patients prematurely age in the neck because of a
laxity of the neck muscle and accumulation of fat in this area.
Liposuction can often relieve the neck area of
unwanted fat, but your doctor may combine liposuction with tightening
of the neck muscle as well to give a longer lasting result. This
outpatient procedure is called platysmaplasty and may be performed with
either "twilight" or general anesthesia. These procedures either
performed together or as staged events, can dramatically reduce the
signs of aging.
Sometimes only fat removal with
liposuction is necessary and sometimes muscle tightening and skin
removal behind the ears is necessary. Usually when combined with
facelifting the skin and muscle is tightened after the fatty tissue is
thinned. Dr. Mentz can help you make these decisions and with computer
imaging the answers become more clear. Recovery times depend
on the number of procedures performed. Stitches are removed
in about one week, and any bruising or swelling will usually diminish
within a month.
