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Can a Full Facelift Be Done Endoscopically?

asked 7 months ago by Dazy in Fort Myers Florida
Latest answer by Sam Naficy, MD
Question viewed 495 times
Tags: endoscopic, full, minimally invasive, options

I am researching various methods of a facelift (jowls, neck and marionette areas). A friend had an endo brow & mid-face lift with sciton erbium laser and her jowls and neck ended up lifting too. She Looks wonderful at 71. Interested in learning about a minimally invasive facelift if possible.

23 answers to Can a Full Facelift Be Done Endoscopically?

No such thing as Endoscopic 'full facelift'

I'm afraid the answer to your question is a No. However, it would be very helpful to see pictures so that we could recommend the best possible procedure/technique for you. Best wishes, Dr. H

Gary M. Horndeski, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Less Invasive vs. More Extended Facelift Procedures

When evaluating different methods that are available to do a facelift, it is important to factor in your facial aging problem, the result you are seeking, how much recovery you can tolerate and the cost. Balancing these considerations helps you find the best facelift for you. As a general rule, the least invasive the facelift procedure is (less incisions and dissection), the more modest the result will be. This may be perfectly fine for someone with minimal signs of aging or someone older... more

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

Endo vs open facelift

There is no comparison in my opinion between the result you can get from an open vs an endo facelift. In a well done facelift, the scars should be virtually invisible and these allow the access to tighten and reposition the deep tissues and to remove the extra skin. In an endo procedure, no skin redraping can be done so the results will be much less impressive. Generally, the best candidates for endo procedures are the youngest when the skin excess issues are minimal. more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Skin removal most essential step in any facelift

Hi Dazy: There are many different types of facelifts. What a patient needs depends on their anatomy, age, skin type etc. What a patient gets depends on the surgeons skill, experience, and knowledge. If you have the type of face that looks better when you use your fingers to tighten the cheeks, jawline, and neck, then it is essential that a significant amount of skin be removed to achieve a good result, no matter what type of facelift is done. This requires standard insicions,... more

John Alexander II, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Endoscopic facelift

Facelift is a catchall term and may not mean exactly the same thing in all practices. There are indeed limited incision or mini facelift techniques, however at age 71 the issue most at hand is neck and jowl laxity, and minimally invasive or endoscopic procedures just won't do. We haven't seen a midface lift improve the jowl; lucky friend. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Full facelift may require more than endoscopic for best results

Not everyone means the same thing by"full facelift" but to improve the jowls, neck, and midface probably requires more than just the endoscopic approach. One good thing about the endo procedure though is that it emphasizes 3-D reshaping more than pulling, which is one of the keys to a natural appearing result. It is still likely that some skin removal rather than laser peel alone will be helpful, especially in the neck.

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

baxterplasticsurgery.com

Facelift Endoscopically?

What we describe as a Facelift in contouring the neck, jowls, jawline cannot be performed via an endoscopic approach alone. A mid face lift and a brow lift can be performed endoscopically. However, if your friend is 71, a mid face lift alone is often a long haul for a short slide; a mid face lift will definitely have no effect on the neck. An incisional approach was most likely used in addition to the endoscopic procedure.

Stephen Prendiville, MD
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drprendiville.com

Endoscopic facelift

A purely endoscopic Facelift will have limitations as it can raise sagging tissue below the skin, but cannot remove excess skin. If one needs to have skin removed, then the incision used to remove that skin is essentially how you access the tissues to lift them up, so there is no advantage to an endoscopic technique. If your skin excess is very mild, then an endoscopic Facelift with a simultaneous laser might help for a while, but will likely not give the degree of skin removal or tightening... more

Julio Garcia, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

lvcosmeticsurgery.com

Can a Full Facelift Be Done Endoscopically?

A "FULL FACELIFT" can not be done endoscopicly. In fact your friend had more than a endo facelift as you describe. These issues depend upon the problems you have in your face/neck. Best to be seen by a few boarded PSSs in your area.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Endoscopic facelift

There are many different ways to do facelift surgery. I use the endoscope all the time for the forehead but not the face. I prefer other ways. Check out several opinions and go with the suregon that makes sense to you and that you feel most comfortable with.

Ronald Schuster, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

www.drschuster.com

Can a Full Facelift Be Done Endoscopically?

I have performed Face Lifts for over 20 years and IMHO all effective Face Lift procedures must have these three characteristics: There must be an incision curved around the front of the ear through which excess skin can be removed. The underlying SMAS muscle layer needs to be dissected, lifted, trimmed and re-sutured together not just suspended or folded upon itself with threads or sutures. Excess fatty tissue needs to be removed and the midface (cheeks) shaoed... more

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Full Facelift Necessary for Skin Tightening, not Endo Faceflit

Dear Dazy- In general, you need a full facelift if you need skin tightening. If your skin is loose to very loose, there is no endoscopic method of tightening your loose face and neck skin in a pleasing manner.I If you don't have that much loose skin, or you don't have the need or desire for a maximal result, then an endoscopic approach may work for you. Of course, the best way to figure this out is to have a formal consultation with a plastic surgeon... more

Roy Kim, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

That depends...

Although endoscopic brow and midface lift works well for some people, it is not for everyone! A well done open lift should leave scars that are almost invisible. Midface lift works a bit for jowls, but if there is loose neck skin, or severe jowls, an open lift would be better. If an open surgery is out of the question for you, consider volume replacement with fillers, Sculptra or your own fat for an incision-free rejuvenation.

J. Charles Finn, MD
Raleigh-Durham Facial Plastic Surgeon

Full Facelift Be Done Endoscopically

Endoscopic lifts can be done for the brows and midface (upper cheek) region. The jowls are not easy to lift endoscopically with long-term results, especially if excess skin needs to be removed - which at age 71 is typically the case. I would suggest that you wait at least 6 months after surgery before judging the success of your friend's lift.

Sam Naficy, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

A midface lift and brow lift can be done endoscopically with consistently excellent results

Certainly a midface lift and brow lift can be done endoscopically with consistently excellent results. However, I do not believe that an endoscopic approach addresses loose jowls, loose neck skin or prominent neck muscle bands very effectively. I believe that some type of open approach, often with very limited incisions, is usually required to redrape any excess skin and to tighten the subcutaneous muscle and soft tissue effectively. I also use Sciton’s Laser... more

Michael R. Macdonald, MD
Bay Area Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drmmacdonald.com

Endoscopic face lift

I work as an aesthetic facial plastics surgical tech and I have seen many procedures and many situations. I feel Fat Transfer is the best option to go with because the outcome can offer many results that the traditional incision procedures does not. For instance, as described on our web site volumizing will eliminate the extra skin and fill any unwanted wrinkles and lines. If you go with the traditional face lift all that is accomplished is tightening. When we age we experience muscle and... more

Philip Young, MD
Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

Can a 'Full' Facelift be Done Endoscopically

A 'full' facelift cannot be done endoscopically because it is usually necessary to remove excess skin when the face including the underlying muscles is elevated. However there are many techniques and combinations of techniques used in facial rejuvenation. For example, a full face laser resurfacing or chemical peel may tighten the facial skin and provide an excellent result in some people. I suggest you consult with an experienced surgeon to discuss alternatives which will vary... more

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Facelift - Can a Full Facelift Be Done Endoscopically?

What's in a name? First, you have to agree on what a "full facelift" is. Most surgeons would say that that means that you're addressing the eyes and possibly the brows, as well as tightening the skin of the lower face and neck. If there is more than a small amount of excess skin of the neck, then it is improved most effectively with one of the more traditional, open procedures. If this is what is mean by a "full facelift" then I would... more

Alan Engler, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Endoscopic Full Facelift

A full facelift requires incisions hidden around the ears. Your friend's brow and midface lift is by no means a full lift nor is it minimal-invasive. I am not sure if you saw her within the first week of recovery but some surgeons who still perform endoscopic midface lifts also call it the "pumpkin operation". Rather then picking a particular facelift technique, I would recommend to see an esperienced facelift surgeon and discuss the best procedure(s) for your particular... more

Frank P. Fechner, MD
Worcester Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drfechner.com

Endoscopic , minimally invasive facelifts

In my experience, the results have been poor.. it is possible to tighten the muscl layer and get improvent in some contours, but almost all people have excess skin that needs to be elevated and removed

Jed H. Horowitz, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

www.pacificcenterplasticsurgery.com

Full facelift done endoscopically?

Endoscopic facelifts aren't typically used to treat the entire face, though they are commonly used to perform a brow lift and mid-face lift. These procedures don't usually improve the neck or jowl area, though. A regular facelift utilizing incisions around the ears would be needed to get changes in those regions.

Thomas A Lamperti, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

Endoscopic facelift?

In my practice; I have found that facial plastic surgery should be individualized. In my experience, traditional open techniques allow for more skin removal and more attractive, longer lasting results. With open technique, I can best tighten muscles and remove excess skin. The drawback of the endoscopic approach is that it does not remove excess skin.

George John Alexander, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Endoscopic facelift

The primary areas of treatment with endoscopic lifts are the brow and midface. There are definitely some patients who get improvement in the jowl and jaw area from the mid face component of the lift. These are in the minority though especially if you have significant laxity n those areas. Like many patients you need to decide what type of result you are looking for and then have your consult to find out what techniques would get you that result. You don't want to fit yourself into a... more