What are the chances of dying while getting a neck lift?

It is very unlikely providing that patient is properly evaluated and found fit for this procedure. We do neck lift in twilight or local anesthesia and risks of any complication related to anesthetics is minimal. In person consultation and discussion with a board certified plastic surgeon with good reputation in neck lift would help. Good luck.

I suggest consulting with an experienced surgeon to discuss your aesthetic goals and your concerns. If you're generally uncomfortable with surgical procedures, there are non-surgical skin tightening options for the neck that you could consider:
- Microneedling and laser treatments for texture- Botox, Dysport or Xeomin to help the Platysmal bands
- Microneedling RF (Intensif or Fractora) for crepey skin and lifting
- Injectable fillers like Belotero, Restylane Silk, and/or Juvederm Volbella to improve lines and folds
- Renuvion, ThermiRF, and/or InMode FaceTite for internal tightening
- Ultherapy and Thermage for external tightening
- regular Venus Legacy, Exilis Ultra, or InMode Forma treatments with facials to maintain tightness
- PDO NovaThreads or Silhouette InstaLift cone threads for lifting and long-term collagen productionOf course, with significant neck sagging, a necklift / facelift with muscle tightening (platysmaplasty) would produce the most significant improvements. At the same time, lasers treatments (Fraxel, CO2, Erbium) or microneedling RF (Fractora, Intensif) can be performed to improve crepey skin or wrinkles. See an expert for a full evaluation and treatment plan. Best, Dr. Emer

The risk of death from all cases for intravenous sedation is said to be approximately one case in 30,000 to 50,000. While that is low, it is not zero. Things like drug reactions, undiagnosed heart disease, and therapeutic misadventures contribute. Generally that risk is considered low enough, that most people are comfortable moving forward with surgery. There is a risk, so if you are on the fence about having surgery, this might be a reason not to have surgery. This is the reason that your surgeon will ask you to have a careful medical assessment prior to surgery. That makes a difference. That risk is not less having surgery with a board certified plastic surgeon so don't be fooled by an unethical surgeon who wants to scare you out of seeing a highly qualified surgeon in a competing subspecialty. 

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  Although there are risks with any procedure it is important to remember that in an otherwise healthy individual the mortality risk is extremely low, on the range of 1:1-2MM.  Hope this helps.

Your chances are extremely low bychoosing a ABPS board-certified surgeon operating out of a certified surgery center. The risks of anesthesia are minimal and surgically related deaths are extremely rare. The biggest surgical risk would be neck hematoma compromising your airway. I recommend discussing your concerns with your surgeon so that they may understand and educate you to the risks.

Dear Thoughtful,
Hello and thank you for your excellent question. The risk of dying during a neck lift under general anesthesia is extremely low. If you look at all surgeries performed in the US, it would be as low as 1 in 600k or 1 million. Good luck!
Best,

Jon Ver Halen, MD FACS