There’s no doubt about it: a facelift can make you feel and look years younger than you really are. And the results from a facelift lasts for years rather than for the few months that a minimally invasive procedure such Botox injections do. Finally, facelifts are one of the safest cosmetic procedures if performed by a well-trained physician.
And there’s the rub. As with any surgery, there are possible risks and complications with a facelift but you will greatly reduce those risks if you use a certified physician. Discover these eight potential problems with facelifts and learn why you need to seek out board certified facelift doctors in Miami to maximize your safety.
What to Expect With a Facelift
A facelift is a type of surgery that removes excess facial skin to make your face appear younger. Facelift surgery is performed in an outpatient setting such as an outpatient surgi-center or a well-equipped physician’s office. After the surgery you may experience some mild discomfort, which disappears over the course of a couple of days. Dressings from the surgery can be removed after 3-5 days, at which point you can resume all normal activities. However, you will most likely want to use makeup to cover residual bruising, swelling and the sutures around your ears.
But while that is how facelifts normally work, you may experience complications ranging from minor to severe. Here are the risks you may run if you are not using a board certified facelift doctor in Miami.
- Hematoma
A hematoma is the most common complication after facelift surgery. A hematoma occurs when there is bleeding under the skin that creates a pocket of blood. A hematoma resembles a swollen, painful bruise. Minor hematomas can usually be drained with a needle. Major hematomas, however, often require an additional operation to stop the bleeding and remove the collected blood. If you are male, have poorly controlled hypertension, and use aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, you may be at greater risk for a hematoma.
- Reaction to Anesthesia
Some face lift patients experience nausea and general sickness after receiving anesthesia. Fortunately, usually diminishes completely after a few hours.
- Facial Nerve Injury
Rarely, a facelift can damage your facial nerves causing weakness or paralysis. In most cases, the damage is temporary and improves in a few months to a year. However, in severe cases the damage can be permanent.
- Infection
Infections in a specific area of the face can occur and are characterized by swelling, redness, sensitivity, and localized heat. Infections can be treated with oral antibiotics unless they are severe enough to require intravenous antibiotics. If you have diabetes, immunosuppressive disorders, or other systemic illnesses, then you may be at a greater risk for infection.
- Skin Loss
If a facelift interrupts the blood supply to your facial tissues, you may loose some skin as the tissue dies. Known as skin flap necrosis, this condition is more common in smokers or people with thin skin flaps. Treatment for skin flap necrosis usually involves some type of skin graft or other rebuilding treatment.
- Hypertrophic Scarring
In all facelifts, you will have some pink scars at or above your hairline but these will fade over the course of several months, turning a less noticeable white. However, some people also develop hypertrophic scarring, which is caused by deposits of excessive amounts of collagen and gives rise to a raised scar. Generally, hypertrophic scarring is irreversible although injections of a corticosteroid medication might help improve the appearance of the scars.
- Hair Loss
Hair loss, or alopecia, is another possible complication that can be temporary with hair re-growing within three months or it may be permanent. Permanent hair loss can be treated by transplanting skin with hair follicles to the area where you have lost the hair.
- Parotid Gland Pseudocyst
This is the medical term for an infection and swelling in the main salivary gland, which is just in front of, and below, the ear. Generally this infection will occur between the third and tenth day after your operation. The fluid that builds up in the gland can be drained with a needle over the course of several sessions. The infection can usually be resolved within three weeks.
Choosing a Board Certified Facelift Doctor in Miami is Important
Fortunately, most of these eight complications are either rare or occur in more minor forms that will clear up or can be easily treated. You can, however, greatly reduce your risk of having any complications by choosing a board certified facelift specialist in Miami.
Be sure to pick a surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which is the only plastic surgery board recognized by the American Medical Association. Board certified surgeons go through lengthy and specific training, examinations and requirements for recertification to make cosmetic surgery safe. All members of both the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery must be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery to be considered for membership.
If your doctor chooses to perform your facelift in a private facility, make sure it is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) or the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF). As with board and hospital certifications, accreditation ensures that the facility that your doctor is using to perform your surgery is among the safest and clinically excellent facilities available.
And although facelifts are incredibly safe procedures overall, make sure your physician will have registered nurses and an anesthesiologist on hand in case anything does go wrong.
We Fit the Bill
At The Plastic Surgery Institute of Miami, we pride ourselves on our dedication to your health, safety and quality results. Unlike many private practices with only a single surgeon trying to perform all procedures, we have doctors with specific expertise tailored to getting you the best possible results. All of our doctors are board certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery, assuring that they have received the best possible training and passed the rigorous certification process.
Additionally, all our facelift specialists in Miami have performed thousands of plastic surgery procedures. And, our brand new, state-of-the-art facility is certified by the highly respected American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities, Inc. (AAAASF).
So what are you waiting for? Call us now at 305-446-7700 to set up your appointment!
