Neck Lift: Q&A
Ask a Question
What to Do with Neck Laxity when General Anesthesia Isn't an Option?
I'm a 39-year-old with mild/moderate neck laxity, but I'm not after a face lift. I understand that invasive lifting has the highest guarantee of success, but for medical reasons, I prefer not to have general anesthesia (especially considering its an elective procedure).
I have consulted 7 MD's who are respected and reputable plastic surgeons in the Stanford/Palo Alto area (head and neck and general Plastic surgeons) and have had a range of responses. One suggested a "mini" facelift (which is basically a face lift) with submentoplasty and chin implant, a couple recommended an isolated submentoplasty and chin implant, 2 recommended an isolated neck lift, and one MD said I'm not a candidate for face/neck lift surgery and should get a chin implant, Botox in the platysmal bands, resurfacing, and Titan Laser. One also said Active/Deep FX all over my face and neck would be the best. I'm now frustrated and feel as if there's no hope but to live with my prematurely wrinkled neck. Any advice?
Tags:
16 Doctor Answers |
Asked by
anon
+4
Neck Lift Can Be Done Under Local Anesthesia
Thank you for your question.
A Neck Lift can e done under local anesthesia if that is what you need and want.
The laser resurfacing methods you mention will not tighten neck skin.
Thermage, Ulthera, Titan, and Lux IR Deep are non surgical skin tightening methods for the neck but only achieve at best a 20% result.
I understand your frustration. If after seeing 7 surgeons you are undecided and unsure the best option is to do nothing and re assess in a year. Good luck.
more
+3
As you can see, there are multiple options!
There are a wide variety of options to rejuvenate the neck. Because you are young, some of the more conservative options might be the most reasonable but it really depends on your anatomy and your expectations.
You are hand-cuffing the doctors by placing restrictions on the anesthesia. I would suggest going back to the ones you liked most (I would recommend Ben Maser, MD at the PAMF) and ask them what they would advise if anesthesia were not an issue. Then ask them what anesthesia they...
more
+3
There are multiple ways to rejuvenate a neck
While it's difficult to know what options you have without examining you, what I think you are seeing is that depending on the surgeon, there are multiple options for neck rejuvenation. I think you have been offered a wide range of options, some more invasive than others, and each with its advantages and shortcomings. I don't think you have to live with your neck if you're unhappy with its appearance, and I do think you can have a procedure done to improve it. The key will be to decide...
more
You might also like...
Real Stories
Neck Lift with Lipo - New York, NY
The procedure I had was a neck lift with lipo- a small incision under the chin, all fat...
+1
Neck Rejuvination Options
A lot of surgeons offer different options and prefer different methods when it comes to facial rejuvenation. Truly, there may be several options for you that would achieve the end result you desire. You also need to take into account that, if you feel you are not healthy enough to undergo general anesthesia, you may want to discuss that with the surgeons as well. If it is just a matter of an allergy, then you should be fine with the local anesthesia and a form of medication that relaxes you...
more
Fayetteville Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1
Neck lift and general anesthesia
Your situation illustrates my usual advice to patients that if you see three different surgeons about a single problem, you will usually get three different answers. Personally, I do not understand why no one offered to do a neck lift procedure on you under local anesthesia. This would almost certainly address your concerns.
+1
The Best Necklift
The best way to lift a sagging neck is to have surgery. Necklifting can be performed under local anesthesia quite comfortably. All necklifts require removal of the submental fat. If there are platysmal bands, these must also be corrected. Lasers cannot address sagging skin no matter what they advertise. There are two different necklift procedures to address sagging skin. Depending on how much sagging skin is present will determine which incisions are required...
more
+1
It depends on your goals: Your neck profile or skin texture
All of the proposed options can all be performed without General anesthesia.
Some can be performed under local anesthesia alone with oral or intramuscular sedation, while other surgeons may prefer local anesthesia with IV sedation. This helps to avoid the general anesthesia which you have your reason for avoiding. Some people have a history or family history of Malignant hyperthermia from general anesthesia inhalational anesthetics (the anesthesia gases), which...
more
+1
There Is No Best Answer In Facial Rejuvenation
Unfortunately as you have found, there is no right or wrong answer in facial rejuvenation. While anesthesia concerns are always present, most procedures can be done with less than general anesthesia so I wouldn't let anesthesia alone preclude your more optimal procedures.
+1
Restore the triangle of youth.
Many women identify the first signs of aging in the central lower third of the face (around the mouth and neckline). The development of mandibular jowls and neck skin laxity, neck muscle splaying and subcutaneous fat accumulation in the neck all contribute to making the face a "pyramid of age". In your consultations with local experts, you have discovered that there isn't one "solution" to a so called problem, as evidenced by the variety of approaches...
more
+1
Options to Improve Neck Laxity
There are several different options to improve the neck skin laxity. Without assessing a picture, it is difficult to make a recommendation. Your young age and some of the other plastic surgeon opinions lead me to believe you would benefit from a midline platysmaplasty or neck lift performed with a incision just under the chin. Using this same incision, you may also benefit from a chin implant. Both of these procedures can be performed under local anesthesia with minimal scarring and...
more
+1
Neck Lift and Anesthesia
With regards to your question, there are several topics to discuss.
Anesthesia: If you have some form of cardiac, pulmonary, or metabolic reason for not having anesthesia, the discussion should end here. Elective facial cosmetic surgery is for healthy people; there is no good reason to take unnecessary risks.
However, if you are healthy at age 39, the techniques available for anesthesia in a neck lift procedure do not require general anesthesia and are very safe. The technique used...
more
+1
Neck Lift or Facelift will treat neck laxity
The only way to really treat neck laxity is with a neck lift or facelift. The Titan lasers may give you about a 10-20% improvement. You can forget about the Fraxel.
+1
All facial procedures can be done under local anesthesia
A combination of sedation and tumescent local anesthesia will do a great job of making for a comfortable surgical procedure.
Although I am not suggesting the type of procedure for you, a word of caution, Lasers and radiofrequency procedures are expensive and temporary. The only way to get a durable result is to have surgery.
+1
Tumescent local anesthesia works fine for surgical neck lifts.
Your surgeon can do the same surgical neck lift with just tumescent local anesthesia without general anesthesia. Many anesthesiologists now do the local anesthesia instead of the general anesthesia for face lifts and neck lifts. If you've decided on your surgeon , then the next step is for you to discuss your wishes with your surgeon so he has time to locate an anesthesiologist who can do the tumescent local for you. It is a win-win situation. There are always options. That is why this...
more
+1
Neck lift
Hello
You have seen 7 surgeons who examined you and each gave his opinion based on their exam and your medical condition.
We here have not examined you and not knowing your medical condition will not be able to give you an intellegent advise.
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
+1
Non-Surgical Necklift
Hi Betty,
You can have a jowl and neck lift under local anesthesia. This is becoming more commonplace as more and more patients do not want to have general anesthesia.
Best,
Dr. S.
Comments (0)