Facelift: Q&A

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Facelift Results Depends on the Hands, Judgment or Both?

I have learned a lot from reading the answers from the physicians on this site, including "unfortunately, there is no guarantee that excellent training translates to the same surgical skills" and that while appropriate Board certification is a must, it is not a guarantee of excellence.

So is it the "hands"? One nurse described a surgeon she has worked with as doing "beautiful sutures" or is it judgment or is it both?

I assume it's not necessarily experience because I guess you could be very experienced in doing a high volume of mediocre facelifts.

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21 Doctor Answers | Asked by Doberman in Los Angeles

Doctor Answers (21)
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Predicting the best facelift results

Getting the best result from a facelift is a combination of factors. First, picking the right procedure. Certain procedures will produce a certain look. A coronal browlift, for example, however cleverly done, will raise the hairline and sideburn in the wrong patient. No amount of skill can overcome a poorly designed facelift. A facelift without added volume will never replicate fullness in areas that have lost fullness. High vertical pull will never look natural. Ignoring the... more

No 2 surgeons will give you the same facelift results

It is true, but many patients want to believe otherwise, that just because you call an operation the same thing as another doctor the results will be the same. This couldn't be farther from the truth. So, how someone stitches isn't an indication of their artistic talent to sculpt your face. Stiching is technical, not art. Whose Board you have is not a guarantee of the result either. You can only tell where to go by loking at MANY photos of a doctor's work and seeing in those results the... more

Judgement is the most important part of a facelift.

I have trained many surgeons who had mediocre hands, but excellent judgement. The fact that it may take them a little longer is no problem, unless it takes them 2-3 times as long as a good technical surgeon. The best is having both. Look at the final results of the surgeon's work, not how well he stitches.

Toby Mayer, MD

7 reviews

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

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Technique and Experience Count in Facelift

A great Facelift surgeon must combine a range of abilities, which include excellent technical skills combined with the range of experience which allows appropriate action and when called for, appropriate restraint. I think that Dr. Aldea's comparison of a surgeon to an excellent athlete or musician is very appropriate. I can assure you that some surgeons possess great technique and others simply do not; you know it when you see it. As for experience: you really can't do better than... more

How can I be confident I have chosen a surgeon likely to give me the result I want from a facelift?

Hi there- I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Aldea's answer to you. You will eventually need to make a leap of faith. As regards making that leap as comfortable as possible for you, please read the following advice on finding someone you can trust: In a previous entry, I described how common it is for patients who contact my Orlando plastic surgery center to make the mistake of thinking that: Anyone offering a plastic surgery procedure MUST be appropriately trained and certified to perform... more

A Great Facelift depends on ...

A great Facelift surgeon is very much like a great musician, artist or athlete. It requires years of Experience (seeing, learning, unrelenting self-criticism and redirection), perfectionism, unrelenting drive for self-improvement, honing of thinking skills and analysis as well as of manual operative skills, artistic vision and ability to visualize the desired result and finally - God given talent. It takes all of these qualities and more. The problem is that there is no way you can tell if... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD

35 reviews

Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Facelift results based on skill, technique, skin quality, expectations

With so many facelift options, getting a good result depends on several factors: -your skin quality and degree of aging (sun damage) -understanding the surgery proposed -choosing the right type of face lift surgery -treating the specific areas that you want to improve -taking into consideration the recovery time -the competence of your surgeon -and most importantly what your expectations are for your post- face lift appearance. Dr. Carlos... more

Great questions all

You ask a lot of great questions. Skill, experience, judgment, and aesthetic eye are all important. "Beautiful" skin suturing is nice, but perhaps the least important. What you did not mention is the patient. Perhaps most important is the patient. Skin quality, strength/elasticity, sex (females usually a better resit), health of the patient, genetics of healing, are all important. Finally, post op course. If no complications occur, chance for a great outcome is improved. If... more

Good surgery is the result of skills and judgment

Any operation is a function of judgment and skills. I wouldn't say that either one is more important that they other. They are both more important than "bedside manner" although it's nice to have a surgeon you like. But if I'm on the table for any procedure, even a simple cosmetic operation, I want my surgeon to have good judgment and good pair of hands.

Facelift results and choosing a surgeon

Face-lifting is an art form that not every surgeon masters. It requires sound judgment, experience, aesthetic and artistic sensibility, in addition to being board certified in facial plastic surgery. Be sure to look at as many of each surgeon’s before and after photos prior to deciding who will perform your facelift. A skilled surgeon’s facelift patients will look rejuvenated and natural after their surgery. The patient should never look as though they have been in a wind... more

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