You get what you pay for with limited incision procedures

Unfortunately there are a number of terms to describe surgical procedures to rejuvenate the face. Some of these terms refer to actual surgical procedures and some of these terms are used solely for marking purposes. This is especially true of the procedures such as The Lifestyle Lift. This is a heavily marketed procedure which is performed in different areas of the country most often by physicians who are specifically not board certified plastic surgeons.

Some minimally invasive or limited incision procedures are appropriate for certain patients but certainly not for all patients. In many cases, these procedures give limited results and therefore limited patient satisfaction. Younger patients or patients with less skin laxity may be able to get good results with a well performed procedure utilizing a short scar. This is a procedure I have employed in practice for the last several years with good results. A poorly performed procedure through a short incision results in minimal improvement and a short scar which most patients would not be pleased with.

As with most if not all plastic surgical procedures you should get a personal recommendation to find a physician. I would not choose a physician based on advertising alone. Ideally, the physician will be a board certified plastic surgeon. It should not take much effort on the part of the patient to obtain the credentials of the physician.

If the credentials of the surgeon are not given freely and simply that should be a red flag. If you tend to meet with nurses or ancillary staff instead of the surgeon who will be performing your procedure, that should be a red flag. Likewise, you should understand the credentials of the individual who will be providing anesthesia.

Additionally, you should know the credentials of the facility in which he will be having your surgical procedure. There are a number of national organizations that certify operating rooms and surgical centers and the procedure in which to have the procedure should be a certified center. Again, this information should be readily accessible or ideally offered to you without your having to ask.

You should definitely ask to see before and after photographs of patients who have had a similar procedure to the procedure you are interested in and that were performed by the surgeon who will be performing your surgery.

There are three assumptions you can safely make in Facial Plastic Surgery: 

1) The more advanced the aging changes are, the more extensive your procedure needs to be.

2) Not all surgeons are equal.  As I was told in my training, " There is no such thing as a minor procedure; there are however, minor surgeons".

3) Always see a Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon or Board Certified Plastic Surgeon when considering a facelift, and get a second opinion.

Lifestyle Lift is a very heavily marketed procedure, and has multiple offices throughout the country.  The procedure is performed by local surgeons at a Lifestyle Lift facility, under local anesthesia.  A significant message of the Lifestyle Lift marketing is that they offer a procedure that can be performed in about an hour, with minimal downtime, quick healing, and significant results. 

How Long Will It Last?

A one hour procedure may be appropriate in some patients, but is certainly not appropriate for most of the patients I see in SW Florida.  Longevity of results for patients typical in my practice with a 1 hour procedure?  Probably 12 months or less.  Why?  Facelift is truly a three step procedure which constitutes work on one side of the face, the contralateral side, and elevation and contouring of the neck.  If you do not address each of these elements properly in the form of carefully placed incisions, skin elevation, SMAS elevation and tightening, trimming of skin with appropriate tension, meticulous wound closure (by the surgeon), contouring of the neck, and platysmaplasty, the result is less likely to hold up for a significant period of time.  A more extensive procedure will require a variable period of downtime; some patients heal more quickly than others for a variety of reasons.  It should be stated that some patients with even the least extensive of procedures (injectables) will experience significant bruising.

Just as in every profession and job in this country, some individuals are more gifted, more capable, and obtain better results than others.  Not surprisingly, this is certainly true in Surgery.  An advertised procedure is merely an advertisement; an individual surgeons's work is an individual surgeon's work regardless of how effective his/her marketing is.

In making your decision to undergo Facial Plastic Surgery, remember that is it likely you will be spending a significant amount of money, regardless of who it is you see.  Ultimately, you will want to feel comfortable with the result that you have, the amount of money you have spent to get it, and the experience that you have had.  It is better for a surgeon or company  to underpromise and over-deliver than the opposite.  Analyze the marketing carefully, listen to word of mouth, read websites such as this, and go with your comfort level.

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