Uneven Results from Cheek Lift Procedures

asked 3 years ago by hellofromteresa in Sacramento, CA
Latest answer by Nathan Mayl, MD
Question viewed 3,875 times
Tags: female, complication, uneven

I had a neck, cheek and brow lift. Now, my jowls are next to the corners of my mouth. The surgeon said he Liposuctioned the saggy skin and it will take 9 months for the skin to tighten back up. Does that sound right? I don't think he did the cheek lift, since the whole center of my face is drooping, leaving me with a heavy lateral sweep on one side and loose skink on the other side. Is it possible that the surgeon was so careless, so I ended up with an uneven result? Can this be corrected?

7 answers to Uneven Results from Cheek Lift Procedures

Revision facelift surgery

The issues involved in revision face surgery are complex. When we evaluate patients who were unhappy with their facial surgery, we look at the before and after medical pictures taken in the doctor's office, and look closely at what procedures were performed by examining the operative notes of the procedures. The reputation of the initial surgeon also has a great bearing on deciding what further procedures to undergo, if any. Often, it is not clumsiness on the part of the first surgeon,... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

Procedures are only collections of surgical maneuvers

When a patient or doctor says they had a facelift, or a cheek lift, or a neck lift, it doesn't explain the surgery itself nor the rationale. Cosmetic surgery is simply applied anatomy. You have to define the anatomical problem, delineate the desired goal or result, and then devise surgical maneuvers to accomplish the anatomical changes. What you then call it is relatively generic. It sounds like the surgical maneuvers did not match the anatomical problem or were inadequate to achieve the... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Hard to tell...

Without pre and postop photos of you, your questions are really hard to answer. All I can suggest is that you work closely with your surgeon to see you through until your final healing has occurred, usually about 6 months. At that point, your result will be essentially finalized. If you are not pleased at that point, see what your doctor suggests. Hopefully, you chose a well regarded doctor who did a good operation and will give you a nice result in the end.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Round broad faces are the most difficult to improve the jowls

Your picture indicates that you have a round and broad face. These are the hardest to get and maintain good elevation of the jowls. It is simple physics - the jowls are heavy and the pull is coming from further away in any form of face lifting due to the width of the face. We try to warn patients in advance that they may need fillers after the swelling goes down to smooth out the transition of cheek to jowl. Dr. Mayl Fort Lauderdale

Nathan Mayl, MD
Fort Lauderdale Plastic Surgeon

Don't judge the results of an operation (cheek lift) too early.

From your picture, you are still in an active phase of healing where a good deal of change is anticipated. You should remain patient and consult with your surgeon to make sure he feels you are where you should be in your recovery.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Cheeklift results

It is difficult to tell from your photo. If you are unhappy with your results, go get a second opinion from another surgeon. Remember, asymmetry of the face is normal. One side can look slightly different from the other side. I always point asymmetry out to patients before surgery because they will often have a heightened awareness of it after surgery.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Get a second opinion

From the information you have supplied it sounds like you may require a second opinion. The two sides of the face are never the same. But one should have mild differences of the two sides for several weeks after surgery. What you describe sounds like more than that. Yes, it can be improved if it turns out that it is more than just normal differences of the two sides.

Toby Mayer, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

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