TREATMENT OF THE SAGGING NECK AND FACE WITH LIPOSUCTION, NECK BAND TRANSECTION AND TISSUE TIGHTENING (WITHOUT A FACELIFT)

Do you have any of the following?

• lax, loose, or redundant neck skin
• prominent neck bands
• sagging jowls
• loss of normal sharp angle between chin and neck
• "double chin" with excess skin as well as fat

Traditional facelifting is an extensive surgical procedure producing long scars and carrying surgical risks. During the past few years, the trend has been toward less-invasive procedures performed in the office under local anesthesia.

During the procedure, the fat is first removed with the tumescent technique. Tumescent liposculpture under local anesthesia (developed by Dr. Jeff Klein, a California dermatologic surgeon) remains the state of the art in this regard; liposuction under general anesthesia carries a considerably higher risk.

This technique serves to remove unwanted fat from the front and sides of the neck, undersurface of the chin ("double chin"), jowls, and lower cheeks. During the healing process, the skin gradually retracts and reattaches, creating a "lifting" effect.

Next, we address the vertical neck "bands" (platysma muscle). Botox can be used for these and lasts approximately six months. However, a more permanent solution is to transect the bands and to shrink them with an elective cautery.

But what about the loose neck skin? The answer is to reattach this to the undersurface of the jaw with dissolving sutures, to recreate the neck-jaw "angle" that you may have had years ago.

The entire procedure is usually performed through one incision approximately one inch long underneath the chin, and two 1/8 inch incisions underneath the ears. Recovery is generally much more rapid than with traditional facelift surgery.

This procedure can be performed by itself, or in combination with other techniques, including eyelift (blepharoplasty), body liposculpture, and hair transplantation (follicular unit grafting).

For questions or further information, please call the office to schedule a consultation, Monday thru Friday, 9-5, at (303)744-1202. (Sorry, no e-mail). Out of town patients may mail photographs and receive a letter in reply.

Sincerely,

James M. Swinehart, M.D.