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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Today's Facelift?
It is a Facelift method developed to:
- Provide natural facial rejuvenation,
- Prevent problems of older methods, including “pull,”
- Allow rapid recovery,
- Be adaptable to everyone,
- Provide long lasting results.
Is Today's Facelift like any other Facelifts?
It incorporates the best elements of:
- The facelift of John R. Lewis of Atlanta, a pioneer in facelifting,
- The MACS Lift of Drs. Tonnard and Verpaele in Belgium,
- Minimal
- Access
- Cranial
- Suspension solidly of the face.
- The QuickLift™ that is better for neck problems
- The Lifestyle Lift™, a fast recovery, mini-facelift.
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How did Dr. Buchanan develop Today’s Facelift?
- He worked with Dr. Lewis as a student, and, more recently, used his original notes.
- He studied with Drs. Tonnard and Verpaele, developers of the MACS Lift, on several occasions
- He studied with Dr. Dominic Brandy who developed the QuickLift™.
- He continues to advance his knowledge and technique at meetings and symposia and by direct and written communication.
- He continues to evaluate his results and modifies his technique to improve them.
How does the face age?
There are many contributors to facial aging:
- Intrinsic – controlled by your genes
- The Sun
- Thinning of the dermis (the skin’s support layer)causing
- Thickening of the outer dead layer (causing dryness)
- Reduced blood supply (speeding other changes)
- Brown Spots
- Abnormal Redness (“Rossacia”)
- Muscle Action, especially around the eyes, lips and forehead
- Gravity
- Makes muscles work harder,
- Stretches tissues,
- Spreads volume over larger area,
Causes folds where skin is adhered deeply.
What results are to be expected?
- Looking years younger and rested, naturally,
- Defined jaw (improved jowl),
- Enhanced facial volume,
- Neck tightened.
- Normal earlobe.
- Normal happy mouth without pulled appearance
- Maintenance of a normal, rested appearance
- Social activities resumed in 1-2 weeks.
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What problems does Today’s Facelift prevent?
- No “windswept “ or “pulled” look,
- No flattening of face,
- No sideburn elevation,
- No earlobe descent.
How long will the results last?
You must realize that no procedure stops time, but canturn back the clock a number of years. Today’s Facelift by anchoring the tissues solidly, slows further aging as much as possible. How long the results last will also depend on your life style, previous loss of support tissue and, possibly, genetic factors. Rest assured that most patients are happy with the results for many years.
What makes this procedure different from other facelifts?
- Shorter incisions, frequently not behind the ear,
- Less separation of the skin from the deeper tissue,
- No separation of the deeper tissues,
- Natural, more vertical elevation of the tissues,
- Restoration, rather than removal of facial volume,
- Safer protection of the Facial Nerve (responsible for expression),
- Tissues anchored to solid base, not other stretchable tissues.
Why is Today’s Facelift ideal for Repeat Facelifts?
- Does not continue backward pull,
- Surgery in only 1 of 2 scarred areas,
- Restores some of lost facial volume,
- Corrects earlobe deformity,
- Prevents further sideburn elevation,
- Scar behind generally does not need to be disturbed
Why is Today’s Facelift ideal for younger people?
Younger people have less signs of aging but may want to do “preventative maintenance.” Standard procedures may make the problem worse by pulling unnaturally. If you are in this group,Today’s Facelift:
- Leaves no scar behind the ear,
- Improves the neck & jowl naturally,
- Has a quick recovery.
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WHAT TO EXPECT
We provide the following information before surgery so patients undergoing the MACS Lift will know how to prepare for their rejuvenation and its postoperative course.
Two Months before surgery:
- STOP SMOKING
- STOP USE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS
- STOP USE OF NICOTINE CONTAINING PRODUCTS
- These cause reduced blood flow risking:
- Slow or poor healing
- Loss of skin
- Poor scar
Two weeks before surgery:
- Stop taking medications containing aspirin (acetyl salicylic acid) or other anti-inflammatories. These products affect the blood’s clotting mechanism and may lead to excessive bruising, bleeding or re-operation.
- You may take Tylenol® (acetaminophen).
- Take no vitamin or food supplement other than the ones we provide. Our vitamins are specifically formulated to improve your healing and reduce bleeding and bruising.
- medications or birth control pills, if possible. These increase your risks of developing blood clots in your legs that can cause death.
- Inform Dr. Buchanan of any medications you take, as well as possible allergies (to certain medications, tape, Band-aids, latex etc.)
- Complete a physical examination by your family physician.
- Complete any necessary examinations , such as a blood test, lung X-Ray, or an electrocardiogram (EKG).
- Arrange someone to drive you home and look in on you for the first week.
On the day of the operation:
- Wear no makeup.
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing that does not need to be pulled over your head.
- Do not eat or drink anything for 6 hours before surgery unless instructed to do so by the anesthesiologist.
- You should make certain you have someone to take you home after surgery. You MUST NOT drive a car until you have been off all medications for at least a full day and can move your neck easily.
- You will be given preliminary medications to calm you. A light general anesthetic, administered by a Board Certified Anesthesiologist will be used during the procedure.
- At the end of the operation, a thin tube will be placed under the cheek skin and will exit behind the earlobe to drain any blood that might collect. This is usually removed in 24-72 hours.
- After finishing the procedure, your face will be cleansed and your head loosely wrapped in bandages.
- Approximately 1-2 hours later, you may be taken home or admitted overnight, depending on how much was done and your preference.
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After Surgery:
- Remain as quiet and relaxed as possible.
- Keep your head elevated to decrease swelling and possible bleeding.
- Do not lift, push, pull, strain in any way, or bend forward for 72 hours.
- Take Arnica Montana & Vitamins we provide to reduce bruising and speed healing.
- Take the medication provided for pain or Tylenol® (acetaminophen), but not both.
- Eat only things that are soft and require minimal chewing for the first 2 weeks since you pull against the deep stitches when you open your mouth. This sensation will pass in a few days. Report any unusual swelling or redness. .
- If you have questions about any of this, you have increasing pain or discomfort, any fever over 101, any visual impairment, nausea that the medication supplied does not control or problems having a bowel movement, you should contact the office or Dr. Buchanan.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Day of Surgery:
- You will be given preliminary medications to calm you.
- A light general anesthetic, administered by a Board Certified Anesthesiologist will be used during the procedure. This is the safest method with the least postoperative problems.
- At the end of the operation, a thin tube will be placed under the cheek skin and will exit behind the ear to drain any fluid that might collect. This is usually removed in 24-72 hours.
- After finishing the procedure, your face will be cleansed and your head loosely wrapped in bandages.
- Approximately 1-2 hours later, you may be taken home or admitted overnight, depending on how much was done and your preference.
- If serious bleeding should suddenly occur within the first few hours after a facelift, it might be necessary for Dr. Buchanan to open the wound under local anesthesia to stop the bleeding. This is extremely unusual.
Post-operative course:
- We usually remove the drains the day after surgery. Occasionally they need to stay longer.
- You can take a shower or wash your hair from that point on. You should be careful, as hot water can cause you to faint.
- Sutures are removed between days 3-10.
- You should be able to go for a walk or shop within several days after surgery, but you should count on not being socially active for at least a week.
- You will be provided makeup to conceal the discolorations.The bruising will turn from blue/black to yellow/green in 3-7 days and disappear over another 7-10 days.
- The swelling will start to subside after 3 days and will hardly be visible after 2 weeks, though there will be some deep swelling and irregularity for several months.
- The incisions will fade quickly though there may be some slight redness for several months. (This is easy to disguise.) Occasionally the incision at the sideburn has some hairs that grow through in front of the incision that may need to be encouraged. (This is because of the technique that hides the incision within the hair.)
- The final results are apparent after 2 to 3 months.
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