Quantifying Skin Removal During a Face-lift: Does the Approach Matter?

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Facial Rejuvenation
• Aesthetic Surgery

Background:

• Quantifying skin laxity and removal is crucial for effective facelift outcomes.
• Understanding skin excision volumes aids in surgical planning and patient expectation management.
• Variations in skin removal exist based on surgical technique and patient anatomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure the precise amount of skin excised around the ears during facelift procedures.
• To compare skin removal volumes between SMASectomy and deep plane facelift techniques.
• To evaluate the impact of midline corset platysmaplasty (MCP) on skin excision.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 150 consecutive facelift patients.
• Quantitative measurement of skin removal at postauricular, preauricular, and temple regions.
• Statistical comparison of skin removal across different surgical approaches.

Main Results:

• Average skin removal: 4 cm (postauricular), 2.4 cm (preauricular), 1.9 cm (temple).
• No significant difference in skin removal between SMASectomy and deep plane techniques.
• Midline corset platysmaplasty (MCP) was associated with a small but statistically significant increase in skin removal.

Conclusions:

• Quantitative data on skin removal provides valuable insights for surgeons and patients.
• The choice between SMASectomy and deep plane techniques does not significantly alter the amount of skin removed.
• MCP augmentation leads to slightly greater skin excision compared to standard facelifts.