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Facelift Surgery and Nerve Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Gonçalo Gandra1,2,3, Bia S Silva4, Ricardo Horta5,6
1Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthethic Surgery, and Burn Unity, Centro Hospitalar de São João, Porto, Portugal. Goncalogandra94@gmail.com.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
|June 2, 2025
Summary
Facelift surgery carries a low risk of nerve injury, with overall motor and sensory nerve damage rates below 1%. Permanent nerve damage is even rarer, affecting less than 0.1% of patients, highlighting the safety of modern aesthetic procedures.
Area of Science:
- Plastic Surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Aesthetic surgery, including facelifts, has become safer due to procedural advancements.
- Nerve injuries are a significant concern in facelifts, impacting patient quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and evaluate the incidence and types of nerve injury associated with facelift procedures.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science.
- Three independent investigators assessed study eligibility based on titles, abstracts, and full texts.
- Meta-analysis using the DerSimonian-Laird random effects model was employed for proportion estimation.
Main Results:
- Analysis included 67 publications covering 15,404 patients and 15,441 procedures.
- The pooled rate for motor nerve damage was 0.66% and for sensory nerve damage was 0.39%.
- Permanent motor and sensory nerve damage rates were estimated at 0.047% and 0.045%, respectively.
Conclusions:
- Nerve damage is an increasingly recognized complication of facelift surgery.
- Despite recognition, the overall pooled rate of nerve injury remains below 1%.
