Facelift

It may surprise you to know that facelifts have been done for about seventy years. Fortunately, great advances have been made in the last ten years and today's facelift can offer better, more natural and long-term results. Facelifts can lessen and may even reverse the signs of aging. You may be a good candidate for a facelift if you have developed loose, sagging skin around the face or neck and have realistic expectations, healthy skin, and an acceptable medical history. Dr. Kierney will evaluate your face and medical history to make proper recommendations during your consultation and explain the risks and benefits of the surgery in great detail. A facelift can reverse some of the visible signs of aging but will not stop the aging process. A facelift may help you look younger but it will not give you a totally different look. Your basic bone structure and facial features will remain the same. You will simply look more like you used to years earlier.

The basic goal of a facelift is to remove excess, loose skin from the face and neck and sometimes to tighten underlying tissues. If your eyebrows seem to fall lower on your face and you have creases developing on your forehead, these can be corrected at the same time with abrow lift performed endoscopically to minimize scarring. If you have bags around the eyes or have droopy eyelids, eyelid surgery can also be done in conjunction with a facelift. The facelift procedure by itself will take several hours to perform. Incisions are strategically placed to be easily concealed. This is an outpatient procedure so you can recuperate at home. After surgery, discomfort can be controlled with medication prescribed by your doctor. You may look pale, swollen and bruised after a facelift, but this generally subside within a few weeks. You may also experience temporary numbness and tightness around the face and neck. This too should subside as you heal.

After about two weeks you may feel ready to face the public again and after three weeks there will be significant improvements. If you don't mind bruises showing, you may be able to go back to work nine to ten days after surgery. Several days after surgery, if you wish to use special camouflage cosmetics, you can minimize and mask the bruises to feel more comfortable in public sooner. We offer a full line of camouflage make-up.

Your final result may be seen in about three to four weeks, although complete healing continues for several months.

Most patients are happy with the results of their facelift. Because expectations can be high, the reality of recuperation can be difficult when you are dealing with bruises, fatigue, and the stress of surgery. This is normal and should pass quickly. Once you have recuperated, you will find that your facelift can make you look years younger and you will not look like your face was unnaturally lifted. Today's patient looks natural, healthy, refreshed and rested.

Eyelid Contouring

Extra skin or puffiness of the upper or lower eyelids can be improved with a surgical procedure called a Blepharoplasty. After surgery, a patient looks less tired and finds that the surgery has made their eyes look more rested and often more dramatic. Women also find it easier to apply eye makeup.

The procedure involves the careful removal of extra skin and other tissue, including fat, which may have accumulated around the eye. It is very important that too much skin is not removed from the lid in an attempt to smooth out all lines; this will result in a distorted appearance of the eye and lid. In the upper eyelid, the incision is placed at the bottom of the lid fold so that it is not visible once it has healed.

The extra skin and puffiness in the lower eyelid can be treated by itself or at the same time as upper eyelid surgery is performed. The incision in the lower eyelid can be placed inside the eyelid so that it is not visible, even while healing is occurring. The CO 2 laser is used on the lower eyelid skin to tighten and often time smooth fine lines and wrinkles.

This procedure usually is done under a general anesthetic and a patient can safely return home the same day. Bruising and swelling lasts for 7 to 14 days.

Recovery after Facial Surgery

There usually isn't too much discomfort after most facial surgery. If there is, it can be lessened by pain medications prescribed by your surgeon. Keeping your head elevated and as still possible for a couple of days after surgery may reduce swelling. Bandages are removed after 1 to 5 days. Don't be surprised at the pale, bruised, puffy face you may see --- just keep in mind that in a few weeks you'll be looking normal. Most of your stitches are dissolving. Your scalp may take longer to heal, and skin clips or staples may be used and left in 7 to 10 days. Most patients are up and about within a day or two and back at work within about two weeks. A facelift can make you look younger and more refreshed, and chances are you'll be very pleased with the results.

Cheek and Chin Implants

Facial implants are used by plastic surgeons to enhance or correct a flat mid-face. Implants can also reshape the jaw line. Implants can be made of natural or artificial materials. Depending on the extent of surgery, the procedure may take from thirty minutes to two hours, usually on an outpatient basis. The incision for a chin implant is generally inside the lower lip or in the skin under the chin. Incisions for cheek implants are often done inside the upper lip. However, if cheek implants are done in conjunction with a facelift or eyelid surgery the implants may be inserted through those external incisions.

Generally, you could expect to go back to work in about a week. However, there may still be some noticeable swelling for a few more weeks. Active contact sports should be avoided for about six weeks.

The results from facial implants last the rest of your life. They can offer a dramatic improvement to a weak chin or a flat face. As with all surgeries, there are risks involved that you should consider before having this surgery done. A consultation with a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery should help you make a confident and informed decision on what would be the best for you.

What's Involved in Nose Surgery?

Nose surgery is performed for a number of reasons. It may be done to relieve nasal obstruction and breathing difficulty due to an internal deformity. It also may be performed to correct birth defects and disfigurements resulting from injury. Often it is done for cosmetic reasons. If a patient does not like the shape or size of the nose, the entire nose or a single area (such as the tip or the bridge) can be corrected as desired by the patient. If a patient has had a previous rhinoplasty with an unsatisfactory result, either with the appearance or breathing function, a secondary rhinoplasty can reshape the nose to aesthetically balance with the patient's other facial features.

The surgery usually is done on a day surgery basis so that the individual can go home the same day. It can be performed under general anesthesia. The nose is covered with tape and a small plastic splint for about seven days after surgery, at which time all external dressings and sutures are removed. Typically patients feel that they can go out in public without attracting undue attention by approximately seven to eight days following surgery. Residual bruising can be covered by makeup at this time. Most of the swelling is gone by a month or so, but the swelling continues to subside for many more months, up to a year. Strenuous activities can be tolerated at approximately three weeks after surgery. Potential contact activities, such as basketball or volleyball, should be avoided for several months.

Ear Pinning for Protruding Ears

The medical term for pinning ears back is an otoplasty. The shape and size of our ears is genetically determined. Sadly, children with this condition can suffer greatly from teasing and derogatory nicknames. An otoplasty is commonly done on children when ear growth is almost complete. Although an otoplasty is most commonly done on children, it is not unusual for an adult to have an otoplasty.

Techniques for otoplasty vary, but the most common involves removing and reshaping some of the cartilage behind the ear. The back of the ear is opened to remove excess cartilage, then folded onto itself and stitched together. This will pull the ear flat against the head. As the scars heal, they will fade. They are inconspicuous because they are hidden in the creases on the back of the ear.

Surgery takes an hour or so, and the patient can return home and recuperate within a few days. The bulky bandages around the head are removed and the patient may be instructed to wear a headband for several weeks to protect the ears from damage while sleeping or playing. Adults can return to work in 5 to 7 days, and children are usually ready to return to school in a week or so. Sports and exercise should be resumed carefully to avoid accidentally damaging the ears.

An in-depth consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon is important to individually design the patient's otoplasty. The surgeon will also explain risks and precautions. This is considered a permanent procedure and children are usually thrilled with their more normal appearance. Once healed, younger children will often quickly forget they ever had prominent ears.

Endoscopic Surgery

In cosmetic surgery, the endoscope can be used by making small incisions in the hairline, raising the forehead or brow and aiding in lateral facelifts. This is another new technique that gives you the best results with the least scarring possible. Endoscopic surgery means less bruising and swelling so you can get back to work and your normal activities soon after the procedure. Dr. Philip Kierney can perform this surgery to help you feel and look better.