Deep Plane Facelift Case 38

Procedure Description:

Can a Facelift Be Performed Following Significant Weight Loss? Linda’s Outcome at 65

Linda told me in her first consultation that her greatest worry was her neck. From her previous weight loss, it looked loose and gobbly. That comment stayed with me.

In general, weight loss changes the equations of surgery. Often there is skin laxity but not enough volume to smooth it out. Linda’s cheeks and temples had become hollow with weight loss. A traditional facelift tightens up redundant skin, but it won’t reposition the fat. And on a face that’s become hollow, this could actually make someone look older. So, I performed a Preservation Deep Plane Facelift, Deep Plane Neck Lift and upper blepharoplasty, I added fat grafting of her cheeks and temples to augment her facial hollowness, and CO2 laser treatment of her skin. All of this was done under twilight sedation, without the need for general anesthesia.

Linda showed her sister-in-law and her mother her results. Both commented that she looked like herself. That’s exactly what I want for my patients. Often patients come to me because they want to look like themselves, but without signs of age that no longer feel right to them. Six months after surgery, in looking at her before and after photos, she has a more lifted facial contour (without hollowness), more open eyes, firmer neck skin and much better skin quality.