Are There Different Types of Mid Face Lift?

There are basically several types of midface lifts / cheeklifts. Each does a different thing. The cheek is the trickiest area on the face, and if incorrectly done, they can be a disaster. However, the aesthetic rewards are enormous in that the cheeklift is a powerful tool.
There are the through the lower eyelid surgeries. These are best at smoothing out the eye-cheek junction. They are riskier if they violate the orbital septum. Our version is an ultrashort incision procedure that does not violate the orbital septum, the USIC(TM) cheeklift. Through the lower eyelid cheeklifts can be done at the suborbicularis level or the subperiosteal level. We believe the suborbicularis level (more superficial) is safer. We often combine the USIC cheeklift with LiveFill(TM) grafts to the lower eyelid, but very judiciously to minimize the chance of bulging. There are mini versions of these procedures, and maxi versions. Each has a place in the right patient.
Cheeklifts can be performed through the temple / inside the mouth. These cheeklifts completely avoid lower eyelid problems, but also do not correct the eye-cheek junction. They can cause an increase in the intermalar distance, the distance between the cheeks. They can also cause a upward of "catlike" appearance of the outer eye. They are powerful in what they do and valuable in the right patient.
Endotine type lifts are also cheeklifts. These can be performed through the temple. Hooks of self dissolving material are placed below the cheekpad, elevating it. Patients note sensitivity to the endotine devices or the fixation devices. Bunching in the side of the eye can be noted. An alteration in the distance between the cheeks can occur.
Transconjunctival approaches. It is possible from the inside of the eye to elevate the cheeks slightly and to redistribute the fat from the lower eyelid. If the fat is redistributed, this requires that the orbital septum be violated (from the inside) to spill the fat our beyond the lower rim of the eye bone.
Whatever the approach, experience experience experience is key! The lower eyelid is a very delicate structure and a conservative approach is best. The rewards are great. The pulled down look of the older blepharoplasties can be eliminated in most cases, and certainly prevented by using midface techniques. Almost always, the entire face must be considered, not just the cheek, because the cheeklift has effects on other areas of the face.
A beautiful appearance of the lower eyelid area can be created that is simply not achievable with any other means.
Bad lower eyelid surgery can generally be fixed nicely. Bad aggressive cheeklift surgery is often unfixable.
You may wish to read the chapter we wrote in the plastic surgery textbook "Mathes" on midface lifts and browlifts.

The midface is a very difficult area to rejuvenate, and I hear patients discuss many different options that they learn from other surgeons. People describe mid-face lifting through the lower eyelid incision. That can be risky in that the lower eyelid may droop, even if temporarily, resulting in an unhappy patient. The endoscopic approach, which we perform most often, utilizes a telescopic camera inserted in incisions in the hairline to dissect the cheek tissue and lift it.
Threads can also be used to lift up the cheeks in a patient where there is not too much heaviness. It is important to see a surgeon who specializes in these procedures so that the best procedure can be determined for you. Good luck.
Dr. Miller

There are a number of ways to rejuvenate the midface but the most common cause of aging in the midface is loss of fat which makes fat grafting the best option for most people, such as in the link below

The midface is an important area of facial rejuvenation.  A midface lift can be a good option for the appropriate candidate.  Typically, a midface lift is performed through either a temporal incision (along the hairline) or in a transconjuctival incision (within the eyelid).  

Midface lifting is designed to address the cheek "overhang" or decent of the malar fat and soft tissues. Many surgical techniques have been described to address this concerning area as facelift does not completely improve the area and fillers are a disguising technique.
My approach is a tiny incision percutaneous approach that can be done as a small office procedure. You might see this on YouTube or the website as a local San Francisco news channel filmed us doing the procedure.
The results are long-lasting and down time is minimal with a small incision behind the hairline, a tiny "punch" incision near the cheek fold and patent pending suture suspension system and soft tissue anchoring device. Our longest follow up is just over 8 years.

Just like there are many ways to skin a cat, there are many ways to do a midfacelift. All types of midface lifts should be directed at softening the nasolabial fold or laugh lines while elevating the soft tissues of the cheek. They can be done through the lower eyelids, temples and preauricular regions or through the mouth. They can be done with smaller or larger incisions. They can be done in combination with other procedures especially if you have extra skin. The type of approach depends upon your willingness for downtime, your age, whether or not you have areas like hair to hide scars and whether or not you want to increase the fullness to your cheeks. I would consider the type of skin you have, ie, thickness as another factor in which approach you decide. I would get several opinions as well since results can vary amongst surgeons.

They all to an extent achieve the same goal: rejuvenation of the cheek and nasolabial fold and lower eyelid. So you goal is to find a plastic surgeon that is board certified and someone that you can trust. It should not be of a concern to you on which technique the surgeon is using. Each surgeon uses what works best in their hands. So if you like the before and afters and believe in the surgeon then you have found what you need.
Good luck.

There are many ways to perform a mid face lift. That answer alone will let you know that more than one approach will work and, also, no one approach is appropriate for everyone. Many surgeons prefer to perform a sub-periosteal mid face lift with incisions and suspension in the temple within the hair. Other surgeons use the same sub-periosteal approach but limit their incisions to the area underneath and in the natural skin crease of the lateral eye.
Many surgeons perform suture suspension mid face lift in order to reposition the descended fat. There are other approaches and different incisional techniques. Each of them has their advantages and disadvantages. I would suggest discussing with your surgeon which approach they have chosen and they will be able to tell you why.

A mid-face lift does not address the lower face or jowls. A traditional face lift, or variation, will help treat the jowl and neck areas.
Mid-face plastic surgery helps rejuvenate the nasolabial fold, midface volume loss, and tear-trough deformity, and nasojugal fold of aging. The mid-face is the cheek area from the lower eyelid to the lower jaw. As with other facial areas, there is loss of volume and sagging tissue in the mid-face which results in an aged appearance.
The mid-face may be treated non-surgically with injectable fillers, such as hyaluronic acid, collagen, or fat. Plastic surgery for the mid-face typically involves incisions inside the mouth and in the scalp, to pull up sagging tissue. An endoscope (small camera) may be used during surgery to minimize incision size. Alternatively, a cheek implant may be used to augment the cheek for midface rejuvenation.
Only after a comprehensive evaluation can a plastic surgeon determine the most appropriate mid face option for you. Best of luck.

There are various types of mid facelifts. The central theme is to re-suspend the buccal fat pad. Another excellent alternative to a mid face-lift is to add volume to the cheeks with implants. They are easy to remove and replace and do a very nice job of replacing lost volume in the cheek rather than trying to raise the cheek. The down side of mid face/cheek lift is that there can be a bunching of skin along the lower eyes, which can give the eyes a smaller appearance.