Cosmetic Surgery Procedures
Rhytidectomy (Facelift)
Over time, the relentless affects of gravity changes the appearance of our face. Skin stretches and droops resulting in excess skin of the jaw and neck. A facelift helps restore the look of your youth by selectively canceling out those features which signify age. The cheeks are elevated, folds are flattened, jowls tightened, and the neck is re-draped. Your appearance is not replaced, but your younger appearance is restored.
There are several variations of facelifts. Skin-only facelifts were popular many years ago and are still used in select situations. Intermediate depth face lifts achieve a lift at deeper levels. Deep plane face lifts strive to achieve these changes just above the bones of the face. After a thorough evaluation by Dr. Hoffman, the technique will be selected which is best for you.
Dr. Hoffman usually performs these procedures under local anesthesia with sedation by a board certified anesthesiologist of his choosing
The incisions are designed to become nearly unperceivable; just in front of the ear and wrapped around to the hairline of the neck. The following day, the dressings are removed. Sutures are removed over a period of days as you heal. The amount of swelling experienced varies, but you may resume most normal activities within two weeks. After three weeks most of the postoperative signs of surgery will resolve.
MACS Facelift
I believe that the facelift patients are the happiest patients we see. Usually, these patients have thought a lot about what bothers them about the facial aging process. It generally comes down to the jowls and the hanging neck. They enter the office with some trepidation; their fears center around “not wanting to look different”, being pulled too tightly, downtime and anesthesia. We spend a great deal of time discussing these and other pertinent issues.
In over 20 years of surgical practice, I have never been excited as I now am with the MACS lift. This facelift technique addresses the primary concern that most women (and men) have in terms of avoiding that windswept pulled look. This elegant, yet simple procedure was developed by Drs. Tonnard and Verpaele in Belgium. In essence, it is a short scartechnique, with an upward pull, and minimal undermining of skin. The short scar technique allows for a temporal hairline incision, which continues into the ear. It is hidden and does not extend behind the ear, so patients can generally wear their hair pulled back. The upward pull, as opposed to up and back, is more natural, as it counteracts the effects of gravity. There is less lifting up of the skin compared to traditional lifts. Once this patch of skin is elevated, the tissue underneath is tightened with purse string sutures, in order to provide long lasting results.
The MACS lift is performed under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia, whichever the patient prefers. The operation is an out patient procedure, which takes about two and one half hours to perform. Patients are generally bruised and swollen for 1 to 2 weeks. The potential complications of bleeding and infection are extremely rare.
Patients tend to be referred by friends and family members who have had the procedure. They are very satisfied and enthusiastic about the ‘natural look’, the quick recovery and local anesthesia. This has revolutionized my practice by providing a superior surgical procedure for facial rejuvenation. Several so called non invasive techniques have been recently marketed, such as barbed sutures, lasers and filling materials. They sound appealing because of the minimal down time and immediate results. However, they can never duplicate quality and longevity of a MACS lift.
Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery)
Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) removes excess skin, muscle and fat from the upper and lower eyelids. The procedure corrects drooping upper lids that tend to sag over time. Excess skin and the puffiness seen with the lower eyelids may also be addressed. The procedure typically takes approximately 45 minutes and may be performed in the surgery center using local anesthesia with minimal sedation. Blepharoplasty is performed alone or in conjunction with other facial rejuvenation procedures such as a facelift or browlift.
Otoplasty (Ear Pinback)
Otoplasty, or ear pinback, is done to correct protruding ears. It happens to be one of the few cosmetic surgeries performed on children. An incision is placed in the natural creases behind the ear and the cartilage of the ear is weakened so that it conforms into a new shape. The cartilage is also secured to hold the ear into position. Recovery normally takes one to two weeks and results are noticed immediately.
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