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Validating Facial Aesthetic Surgery Results with the FACE-Q.
Elisabeth A Kappos1,2, Mathias Temp1,2, Dirk J Schaefer1,2
1San Francisco, Calif.; and Basel, Switzerland.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
|December 22, 2016
Summary
Facial rejuvenation surgery, including high-superficial musculoaponeurotic system face lifts combined with lipofilling, significantly enhances patient satisfaction. The FACE-Q questionnaire is recommended for validating outcomes in aesthetic facial surgery.
Area of Science:
- Plastic Surgery
- Aesthetic Medicine
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- Measuring surgical outcomes in aesthetic practice relies on patient satisfaction and quality of life.
- Validated questionnaires for assessing patient satisfaction in aesthetic surgery were previously lacking.
- The FACE-Q questionnaire has been introduced to address this gap in outcome assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the largest series of face-lift patients evaluated using the FACE-Q.
- To report on the longest follow-up data available for face-lift patients assessed with the FACE-Q.
- To evaluate patient satisfaction following high-superficial musculoaponeurotic system (HSMAS) face lifts and adjunctive procedures.
Main Methods:
- A consecutive series of 200 patients undergoing HSMAS face lifts (with or without additional procedures) between 2005 and 2015 were identified.
- Patients completed eight FACE-Q scales to report their satisfaction levels.
- Rank analysis of covariance was employed to compare satisfaction across different patient subgroups.
Main Results:
- The response rate for the FACE-Q survey was 38%.
- Face lifts combined with other rejuvenation procedures yielded higher patient satisfaction than face lifts alone (p < 0.05).
- Patients undergoing lipofilling as part of their face lift reported significantly higher satisfaction in three subscales compared to those without lipofilling (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Combining HSMAS face lifts with lipofilling and/or other facial rejuvenation procedures leads to high patient satisfaction.
- The study recommends the adoption of the FACE-Q by aesthetic facial surgeons to objectively validate clinical outcomes from the patient's perspective.
