Surgical Procedures

 
 
   

Neck Lift

 

"You can always tell when someone needs a Necklift as they tend to wear turtlenecks year ‘round . . . "

A youthful neck and jawline result from a combination of elastic skin, minimal fat

and an intact contour muscle of the throat. A loss of any of these elements causes

loss of neck contour. This loss of a youthful neck contour can make an individual look older, shorter and worn-out.

How Necks Age:

The aging neck reflects the 3"D's" of facial aging: Deterioration, Deflation and Descent.

The neck skin deteriorates because of time, genetics and sun exposure. This results in thinner skin with loss of elasticity as well as color and texture changes. Surgery cannot reverse changes associated with skin deterioration. Surgery redistributes and tightens skin it cannot improve the quality of the skin.

The aging neck usually loses volume due to age related fat atrophy or deflation. This loss of subcutaneous fat exposes the muscle bands of the neck making them more visible. These muscle bands also become more prominent as they separate from the midline to produce distinct "cords".

Finally, the neck tissues sag or descend. This is the excess tissue that piles up at the top of the turtle neck or shirt collar.

A necklift surgically tightens and redrapes the loose neck skin, repairs the neck bands or cords and removes excess fat if present.

The Older Neck:

In an aging neck a necklift corrects the fullness, laxity and loss of contour associated with the aging. This "Turkey-Neck" appearance can only be corrected surgically as there is usually a separation of the underlying neck muscle which can only be corrected with an operative procedure. Excess skin must also be tightened, redistributed and removed. Liposuction alone will worsen the problem as the skin will not shrink sufficiently to produce a firm neck contour.

At the present time there is no non surgical way to correct these problems.

The Younger Neck:
In the younger individual with a firmer, fuller neck but without a well defined chin or jawline liposuction alone may be sufficient. More commonly a permanent suture is placed under the jawline at the time of the liposuction procedure to define the jawline as the skin shrinks following liposuction.

Some individuals have a familial ( inherited) anatomical condition known as a "Firm Oblique Neck" where there is poor jawline and neck definition. These necks goes obliquely from chin to chest. In this situation, a combination of techniques ( liposuction, neck muscle correction and suture placement) is required to create the best neck possible. This is known as a "suture suspension platysmaplasty".

Call us to discuss your specific individual situation as only correction of the aged neck will be discussed below

Goodbye, turkey neck.

Necklift: How It is Done:

The procedure, which takes about two hours, is done under a general anesthetic
so that you will experience no discomfort. The Centre only uses fully trained and experienced certified anesthetists.

The incisions are made from in front of the ear, under the earlobe, up behind the ears and into the hair line of the upper neck. There is also a small incision under the chin as well. These incisions are used to lift up the neck skin from the underlying neck muscle ( the platysma- that is why the medical term for a neck lift  procedure is called a "platysmaplasty"). The chin incision is used to remove excess fat, if present, from above and deep to the muscles at the front of the neck. Once this has been done the muscle bands are corrected by suturing them together in the midline  although there are a number of variations to this. Once repaired the now intact neck muscle is draped laterally and sutured in place.

 

The skin is now redraped laterally and posteriorly. The excess skin is then removed so that the resulting scar will be at or in the posterior hairline. Drains are placed and all incisions are then carefully closed.

After the procedure a special dressing is applied. You will recover for about 2-3 hours in the recovery room and then be allowed to go home with a responsible adult.

To minimize the bruising and swelling following a necklift it is important to have adequate blood pressure control, cold compresses and to keep the head elevated with extra pillows during the night following your procedure. Your initial dressing is removed the day after your facelift by our nurses here at the Centre. You may shower and shampoo after the initial dressing is removed.

You'll be up and around after a couple of days. Initial recovery time after a necklift is about two weeks. Most of our patients can go out in public by 1 week following their procedure as it is an area easy to cover up.

Follow up appointments are scheduled to allow monitoring of your progress and answer any concerns you may have. Our nurses will manage your care and remove sutures. The final visit is usually at 6-8 weeks post surgery or as long as necessary to ensure that all is well. The neck will feel tight and slightly numb for a while but everything should be back to normal after about 3 months. Your final recovery may be longer or shorter.

The incisions, when healed, are very inconspicuous and rarely a problem. The
correction lasts for many years and is usually only done once.

 

It is important to remember that a Neck lift only corrects problems up to the jawline. It cannot correct jowls or cheek sagginess.

A necklift can be done without doing a facelift. However, if you have jowls or significant cheek laxity, a face lift is required to correct this problem. We highly recommend a combined procedure as the neck is rarely the only area of concern.


Necklift surgery has a very high patient satisfaction rate and is a good procedure
for men and women.

Necklift will benefit you:

Questions about:

General anesthesia is required for the 2 hour procedure. Dr. Weiglein has found that a necklift is best done under general anaesthesia. The Centre only uses fully trained and experienced certified anesthetists.

If you are not healthy enough for an anesthetic we will not proceed. Anesthesia standards require that you are seen by an appropriate medical doctor prior to the procedure.

Bleeding can occur after any operation. If it happens it will occur in the first 24 hrs. It is important to stop taking any medication (aspirin!) or supplements (green tea!) at least 10 days prior to any surgical procedure as many of these products act as blood thinners. Bleeding is very rare following our necklifts.

Scars are a necessary part of any surgical procedure. The Necklift incision and resulting scars are in front of the ear to the earlobe and then up behind the ear and up an into the posterior hairline for a variable distance. The final length of the scar depends on the amount of skin that must be removed. These scars generally heal well. We work hard to give you the very best outcome.

Numbness of the operated area is an expected side effect. This gradually disappears over a period of 2-3 months.

Facial nerve injury is rare but possible following any facial cosmetic surgical procedure. Most facial nerve injuries are temporary and resolve over a 3-6 month period but may be permanent.

Infection can occur after any operation. A surgically clean environment, careful surgical technique, healthy patients and suitable antibiotic coverage will minimize the risk of infection. We have not had an infection following a Neckliftlift.

Blood clots can form in the deep (not varicose) veins of the legs and pelvis during any operation. This is exceedingly rare with MACS lifts. At the Centre we use all known methods to decrease this unusual problem to its absolute minimum. We use the appropriate combination of TED stockings, Sequential Compression Devices, adequate hydration Intraoperative Warming and early mobilization. At home, you will continue with the TEDS, continued movement and other treatments if required



From Initial Phone call to Post Op Visits: How it Works

Your initial contact with the office will be with Trish, our Patient Coordinator. She will guide you through the process. You will then meet with Dr. Weiglein to determine the best solution to your particular problem. This initial meeting is designed to be an information and educational meeting. It is actually a time when you "audition" us and we "audition" you. With your input a recommendation will be made and all questions answered. We have numerous pre and post operative photos for you to see. There are always former patients available to speak with you about their experience. We welcome friends / husbands/ others to this meeting.

You will then meet with Trish again to discuss costs, scheduling and logistics. If you require more time to consider your options, or wish another appointment, we will arrange it. If you wish to finance the procedure we will assist you.

We encourage you to see us as a second opinion.

If you elect to proceed you will then meet with one of our nurses, at a separate time, for your pre operative visit. She will review the procedure, post operative care and expectations. This is a good time to bring along the person who will be helping at home. Any necessary lab reports will be reviewed. Anesthesia standards require a pre operative physical from a family doctor.

We will provide you with full written post operative care instructions, your prescriptions, follow-up appointment dates, contact telephone numbers and instructions for care-givers at your pre operative appointment. No question will be unanswered.

Need more information?
Please contact us if you have questions. 

We are one of the leading cosmetic surgery practices in Canada so you can rely on our expertise.