Treatment of neck laxity with a Gore-Tex cervical sling for patients with heavy neck tissues

Treatment of neck laxity is a challenging problem for facial plastic surgeons. Many factors may contribute to this problem, including relaxation of the SMAS- platysma complex, excess submental adipose tissue, loss of skin elasticity, and anatomic factors such as hyoid position. Patients with heavy tissues in the neck area are more likely to have disappointing or short-lived results from neck rejuvenation surgery. Placement of an expanded-polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex) cervical sling provides additional support to the soft tissues of the neck, improving both initial and long-term cervical contours. This method is used in our practice for most patients with heavy neck tissues undergoing lower facial rejuvenation procedures. The cervical sling is well tolerated and provides the additional benefit of easy adjustability should the soft tissues of the neck further relax.