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Sutures for Lower Facelift and Neck Lift

asked 1 year ago by BrookeinCO in Colorado
Latest answer by Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Question viewed 774 times
Tags: sutures

The plastic surgeon I am considering for a lower facelift and neck lift indicates he uses a rolling sutures around the ear and behind the tragus. Is this the typical way sutures are done for same surgery, or isn't it? Or are the fine, tiny sutures some doctors do, produce a more invisible suture line? This piece of the surgery is extremely important to me. I need to find out of this is the norm. Thanks

12 answers to Sutures for Lower Facelift and Neck Lift

Sutures used in facelift

The most important part of the facelift is how the muscles are tightened under the skin, where the incisions are placed and how the skin is re-draped. I use small 5-0 and 6-0 nylon suture to close the top of the skin, These sutures are on top of several buried absorbable sutures which remove the tension. The nylon sutures are removed in several days. Good luck with your surgery.

Vishnu Rumalla, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

Do suture type influence the final result

Short answer - the surgeon is most important, the technique second and third the suture material a distant third. Having practiced the art o plastic surgery for more than two decades (OK almost three) I have had the opportunity to watch surgical greats work during my training and as a professor of plastic surgery as well as critically examine my own results using different sutures, and techniques. The bottom line is that "great surgeons get great results" . For example... more

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Sutures Used in Facelift

I use a tragal edge incision and close the wound with a combination of 5-0 and 6-0 size sutures. It does not matter if the sutures are a single running suture or an array of individual sutures. The best suture to close with is a non reactive nylon suture. I find a tragal edge incision distorts the least and hides the best. I also put my incision directly across in the back behind the ear and into the hair ....so if you wear your hair up or a pony tail you see nothing. more

Richard Galitz, MD
Miami Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.aventuraplasticsurgery.com

Face lift and sutures

The sutures used to close a face lift are overrated assuming they are at least a 5-0 or higher. Otherwise it does not matter where they are placed, how many or in how many layers. This is based on personal experience and over 100 face lifts. Make sure your surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Samer W. Cabbabe, M.D. Board - Certified Plastic Surgeon Saint Louis Plastic Surgery Consultants

Samer W. Cabbabe, MD
Saint Louis Plastic Surgeon

Facelift Sutures

Hi BrookeinCO- I believe the surgeon is referring to a running suture used to close the skin, which is like sewing a hemline. The suture should be fine and is an accepted technique. If you have any questions review the surgeon's before and after photos. Sincerely Tom Kaniff

Thomas E. Kaniff, MD
Sacramento Facial Plastic Surgeon

Sutures for Facelift Closure

The term "rolling" suture is probably a reference to a running suture as opposed to an individual or interrupted suture. In general, the Facelift incision is closed with a series of interrupted and running sutures, employing 5-0 or 6-0 suture material. With the technique I employ, the suture line is broken up into several components: the first along the temporal hairline, the second at the junction of the ear (anterior helical crus) to the cheek, the third behind... more

Stephen Prendiville, MD
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

Sutures for Facelift

Rolling sutures is typically not the way we perform the facelift. The sutures used during a facelift are very small sutures consisting of 5-0 and 6-0 nylon placed in very inconspicuous areas around, in front, and behind the ears. The other two important areas with regard to scarring are the amount of tension placed on the skin. The more tension that is placed on the skin from pulling will result in wide scars. Having the sutures removed quite early in the process such as day #4 is... more

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Buried sutures make better scars generally

Any time an incision can be closed with buried, or hidden sutures, the risk of visible suture marks is dramatically diminished. Luckily the majority of a facelift incision is hidden from view anyway.

Lee Robinson, MD
Portland Facial Plastic Surgeon

Incision Type for Face & Neck Lift Sutures Around the Ear

This is a very common question, however it's not very critical for plastic surgery face lift results. The plastic surgeon performing your face lift and neck lift will place the appropriate number of stitches. There isn't a magical or normal number, suture material, or length of incision. The longer or bigger the incision, then the more stitches will be required. Some face lift surgeons prefer absorbable stitches, some prefer permanent, while others use both types. Plastic... more

Houtan Chaboki, MD
Washington DC Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.potomacplasticsurgery.com

Facelift

There are many different types of facelift. The work done under the skin is more importnat than the scar closure. However closure of the incision is also important. I am not sure what your surgeon is doing but I typically use a fine non-absorbable suture that is removed on day 5 or 6.

Siamak Agha, MD, PhD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Face and neck lift

Just choose a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon whom you can trust and work with. The type of sutures is not as important as the execution of a proper face and neck lift, and what is done under the skin to do the lift. Face lift is an art and a science, so choosing the right doctor is important to achieve the results you desire.

Samir Shureih, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

Sutures around the ear in facelifts.

It makes no difference in the end results. What does make a difference is the type of closure below the skin before the skin stitches go in. That is why I have used permanent nylon sutures under the skin for 35 years!