Lower Face Lift: Q&A

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5 Months After Lower Facelift & Platysmaplasty Do These Symptoms Sound Like Greater Auricular Nerve Damage?

1.Right side of neck & ear occasionally feel much tighter & “tingly” than left side 2.Right ear occasionally feels plugged (ENT says ear is OK) 3.Still slightly numb in front of both ears. There is no difference in degree of numbness R vs L and numbness has decreased significantly on both sides since surgery. 4.No part of the ear itself on either side or neck below ears was ever numb. Everything looks great. Does this sound like GAN damage on the right side? If so, what to do? Thank you.

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7 Doctor Answers | Asked by PLM11 in Atlanta, GA

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Cosmetic Surgery is an Art and a Science

The nerve you are concerned about likely was not injured. Most of the symptoms you described should improve with time.Concentrate on your new look. All the best.

Great Auricular Nerve Damage

If there is no numbness in the earlobes, the great auricular nerve was not likely injured to any meaningful degree. The tingling may be due from many things but usually resolves with time.

Gradually Improving Numbness of Skin 5 Months after Facelift. GAN Damage?

No, not a GAN injury. The greater auricular nerve has two branches, anterior and posterior.Since you never had ear numbness, the main trunk of the greater auricular nerve and the posterior branch were not injured. Injury most commonly occurs near where the nerve comes out around the back of the sternocleidomastoid muscle about 2-3 inches below the ear. This is before it divides into the anterior and posterior branches. The anterior branch supplies the cheek skin in front of the ear... more

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Great auricular nerve injury?

If your sensation is improving and the numbness is confined to the front of the ear, it is unlikely a great auricular nerve injury. Likley it will get better with time.

Steven Wallach, MD

13 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

GAN Damage

Nope, no GAN damage by your description. Please give yourself time to heal completely. If you are happy with your result it should only improve with time. Best, Gary R Culbertson, MD, FACS

Nerve Damage After Facelift

From what you are describing, it sounds like you need more time to heal before you will be able to see the final results of your surgeries. During this time, it is important to be patient and to continue observing the areas that are of concern to you. Seek the advice of your plastic surgeon if you are still worried.

Babak Azizzadeh, MD

4 reviews

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.facialplastics.info

Possible great auricular nerve damage after facelift

I would say that the symptoms you describe sound like relatively normal healing after a facelift and platysmaplasty, and do not sound like damage to the great auricular nerve. Frequently, both sides do not heal exactly the same, so it's not unusual to have one side feel tighter than the other. The tingly feeling is fairly normal as the sensation begins to return to the skin. I'm not sure about the right ear plugging you've been having, but it sounds as if you've had that... more

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Lower Face Lift: Q&A