Neck Lift

Preparing for Surgery

In preparing for neck lift surgery, we ask patients to:

• Get lab testing or a medical evaluation
• Take certain medications or adjust their current medications
• Stop smoking
• Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding

We have noticed that preparing for your surgery with a clear, complex-carb rich beverage will keep you strong and enhance your recovery. Drinking ClearFast PreOp prior to your medical procedure is a safe way to speed up recovery time, nourish your body, and reduce post-operative nausea and vomiting. It is available at Hometown Pharmacy on N. Sawyer Street, Oshkosh at $8 a bottle. The recommended dosage is one bottle the night before your surgery once you are in the fasting window, and a second bottle two hours before surgery. However, please get final clearance from your anesthesiologist before taking the beverage at all.

Special instructions will cover what to do on the night before and morning of surgery, the use of anesthesia during the necklift, and post-operative care and follow-up. At this time, the surgeon may perform a necklift in an accredited office-based surgical facility, licensed ambulatory surgical center, or a hospital. Patients need to have someone to drive them to and from surgery and to stay with them for at least the first night following surgery.

Procedure

To begin the procedure, the anesthesiologist will administer anesthesia.  The anesthesiologist will determine the best choice of anesthesia. Depending on the degree of change desired by the patient, the incision may be a traditional neck lift incision or a lateral skin displacement neck lift.

The surgeon makes a traditional neck lift incision in the hairline at the level of the sideburn. Then he will continue down and around the ear, and end in the posterior hair. Then the surgeon may sculpt or redistribute fat from the jowls and neck. Next, he will reposition the tissue underlying the neck skin and tighten the platysma muscle inwards. He will re-drape the skin over the uplifted contours and trim excess skin. Then he makes a separate incision under the chin for liposuction of this area and for repair of the muscle. Finally, the surgeon closes the incision with sutures or skin adhesives.

Option for Lateral Skin Platysma Displacement

Our practice uses a new technique called lateral skin platysma displacement (LSD). We are strong proponents of the LSD method because it has a shorter recovery period and better outcomes than the traditional neck lift method. Remarkably, it only costs $500 more. During LSD surgery, the surgeon will begin the incision in the same area as a traditional neck lift, but end it much deeper into the posterior hair. Additionally, there is no submental scar because the surgeon does not make an incision under the skin. The surgeon tightens the platysma bands outwards with sutures. By using this technique, the anatomy of the muscle is skewed and displaced in a more lateral position, which will decrease the risk of recurring bands.

Dr. Janssen will close the incision lines with sutures and skin glue. Your sutures may be dissolvable, or you may need to come in to have them removed after a few days. Once they are healed, the hairline and the natural contours of your ears will conceal your incision lines. Additionally, the visible improvements of a neck lift appear as your swelling and bruising subside.

Discuss your neck lift options with Dr. Janssen of Fox Valley Plastic Surgery. Contact Fox Valley Plastic Surgery today at 920-233-1540 to schedule a consultation.

Recovery

After your surgery, your medical team will gently place a bandage around your neck and face to minimize swelling and bruising. Patients are given specific instructions that include how to care for your surgical site, medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the potential for infection, specific concerns to look for at the surgical site, and when to follow up with our office. Additionally, to reduce post-operative swelling, you will wear a medical compression band. Patients must wear the medical compression band day and night for at least five days, and then only at night for a longer period of recovery time.

It is of utmost importance that you not subject your surgical incisions to excessive force, abrasion, or motion during the time of healing. You must wear clothing that does not go over the head. We recommend you keep your head elevated above the heart to minimize swelling. We advise against any excessive twisting or bending of the neck. Also, do not apply ice to the neck as this compromises blood flow and results in skin death. We give all this information and more to patients in their paperwork.

Above all, recovery from a neck lift takes time. Most patients find themselves ready to return to work at a desk job in 5-7 days. Our patients who are physically active will need to wait at least three weeks to resume activities. It will take several weeks to months for swelling to fully dissipate, and up to six months for incision lines to mature. As always, life-long sun protection and a healthy lifestyle will help extend the results of your neck lift.

Potential Risks

Patients will sign consent forms prior to the surgery to ensure that they fully understand the procedure and any risks and potential complications. Neck lift surgery risks include:

• Anesthesia risks
• Bleeding
• Temporary or permanent hair loss along the incisions
• Facial asymmetry
• Rare nerve injury that could cause weakness of the lower lip
• Fluid accumulation (hematoma)
• Infection
• Unfavorable scarring
• Prolonged swelling
• Skin irregularities and discoloration
• Skin loss
• Sutures may spontaneously surface through the skin, become visible or produce irritation and require removal
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Persistent pain
• Poor wound healing
• Rare risk of deep venous thrombosis
• Unsatisfactory results which may require a revision