Memphis SMAS Facelift doctors

Regarding: "Options for Correcting SMAS Face Lift Scars?
I had a SMAS Face Lift, Brow Lift, and Liposuction under my chin in June 2008. The scar in front of my ear is perfectly hidden on one side, but is very visible on the other side. What can be done about this? I have been given cortisone injections on my neck and behind my ears because the incision scars were thick. Do I need scar revision or some kind of laser treatment for these scars?"

The treatment would depend on the potential reason for WHY the scar that bothers you turned out the way it did. Were you smoking? Was there a wound infection? Did the wound separate before or after the stitches were removed? Do you have a tendency to heal with very noticeable (hypertrophic) scars?

If there is enough skin looseness on that side the best course would be to remove the bad scar and repeat the closure taking care to get the best possible union of the edges.

Good Luck.

Dr. Peter Aldea

Regarding: "What is Your Opinion of the Roundblock SMAS Facelift Technique?
I'm 46 years old Finnish woman and am having some signs of ageing, especially on the neck. One plastic surgeon recommended a Roundblock smas -operation for me.

I was told that the RoundBlock SMAS treatment is a suspension method for face-lifts that is safe, yields fast results and reduced scars and no dead space, requires no drains, and has a quick recovery time.

Is anyone familiar with this surgery method and what is your opinion of it?"

Ever since Facelifts began being performed in the 1900's there have been MANY different variations of Facelifts and the popularity of one variation over another appeared cyclical. In 1976, two Frenchmen Mitz and Peyronie described the potential use of using and pulling on the SMAS (an anatomic muscle layer than extends from the temple muscle across the side of the face to cover the neck muscles) and Facelift surgery was changed forever. Various techniques of SMAS manipulation were described, each with its own name. Instead of pulling on the skin (and getting the obvious "done" and "wind swept" face we still see by surgeon who should know better) the SMAS is pulled on allowing skin closure to be done without any tension for great, almost invisible scars.
The SMAS can be :
- undermined as flaps and pulled
- strips of it can be removed and ends brought together (Lateral Smasectomy)
- bent on itself and tightened (SMAS plication)
- gathered with purse string sutures (" round block" - better known as a MACS Facelift)
- etc, etc

To get a great result, a Facelift MUST be addressed to the patient's individual needs. In your case, the neck needs to be addressed with an additional procedure as does the area under the eyes where there is a flatness and visibility of the lower rim of the eye socket.

In my opinion a MACS Facelift WITH a Neck lift and fat injections to the middle third of the face would be your best option. Make sure your surgeon CUSTOMIZES THE FACELIFT TO YOU - NOT YOU TO THE FACELIFT.

Good Luck.

Dr. Peter Aldea

The cheek or the malar eminence is a bony structure which short of being hit well with a powerful blunt object cannot be flattened. There is no way in which pulling on the SMAS will lead to cheek flattening and I must only conclude that either your surgeon was inarticulate or you may have misunderstood him.

There is a large number of SMAS manipulation based Facelift procedures all of which lift the neck and sagging face structures and put them back in their attractive youthful positions. It is THE most effective and popular Facelift in the world. IF such procedures resulted in facial flattening and narrowing, do you think they would be so popular?