Can a "jowl" lift be performed using local anesthetic and sedation?

Hi SherpyThanks for posting your question. This is a very common one and in short the answer is yes.If your skin is loose, sagging or creating the appearance of jowls you may be a good candidate for Concept™ Facelift Surgery. This type of Rhytidectomy is unique as the facelift is performed under local anaesthetic, and is less invasive than traditional methods, meaning the cosmetic surgery has a significantly faster recovery time.The cosmetic procedure is similar to a mini facelift as it is performed with a short scar that runs in front of the ear, down to the ear lobe and tucked behind the ear. There will be no dressings or drains afterwards. This is performed as a day case, walk in-walk out procedure with minimal bruising and downtime.For those who have excess fat under the chin but still have good muscle tone and skin, liposuction of the neck will be sufficient. If the skin has lost elasticity, removal of excess skin (Neck Lift Surgery) to tighten and tone the neck will also be required.Do your homework and find a qualified and reputable surgeon. Best of Luck

Yes, a jowl lift, or any type of "mini" lift can be safely and comfortably performed in an office operating room using local anesthesia, with or without a mild oral tranquilizer before the procedure.  I have also performed more extensive facial cosmetic procedures in this manner, but the two important factors are the patient's health and overall demeanor.  Most people will tolerate this situation well, but a particularly anxious or "uptight" person might be more comfortable having intravenous sedation, so-called twilight anesthesia.

At my practice, I perform a mini-lift procedure that requires only local anesthesia. This mini-lift is recommended for patients who are showing early signs of jowling and excess skin, but is not recommended if you have significant jowls or skin laxity. Without seeing you in person, it’s impossible to say if you would benefit from a mini-lift under local anesthesia or if a deeper face or neck lift would be better. I hope this helps.

Thank you for your question, sherpy. I suggest you consult with your board certified facial plastic surgeon. Yes, the Laser-Assisted Weekend Necklift provides a natural appearance in a short and comfortable recovery time after a procedure that leverages minimal invasiveness under local anesthesia. Best wishes,

Face and Jowl lift under local anesthesia and sedation? Assuming you have no other issues this is frequently done with a lift that requires no neck work. Otherwise you will be compromising the results. See a very experienced facelift surgeon and make sure they do natural looking faces. 

Abbreviated or less involved "lift" procedures can be performed under local anesthesia, but results are generally limited and not very durable.  The more sever the aging changes, the more involved the procedure must be. You could theoretically perform a more comprehensive facelift under local anesthesia, but this requires a carefully selected patient.  Most people don't want to sit out by a pool for more than an hour.  Hence, several hours awake in an operating room is beyond the capacity of most patients.

Hi Sherpy, it is very possible to perform a jowl lift under local anesthesia using oral sedation. Essentially, a jowl lift is a lower facelift. I like to use tumescent anesthetic, which is very effective at making you numb. I then use an oral sedative such as Ativan. I have found this combination to be very effective. Surgery under local is not for everybody and I would follow up with an experienced facial plastic surgeon who is experienced with this technique.

 Lifting the jowls is usually performed with a  mini-lift, or a  face/neck lift. Mini-lifts  tend to give mini results, so we rarely performed them. In our practice, most patients wish to not only have the jowls lifted, but have the facial and neck muscles tightened, loose facial and neck skin tightened, and remove any fatty deposits in the neck. To accomplish these goals requires a face AND neck lift procedure. For many examples, please see the video and the link below

There are versions of mini-facelifts that will address the concern with the jowls under local anesthesia. Look for a surgeon that has done a large number of them. Please consult a facial plastic surgeon in your area.Hope this helps,Dr. Gus Diaz

Great question but the answer depends! A jowl lift = a face/neck lift.  Occasionally patients with minimal laxity and no anxiety can have this procedure under local anesthesia as deeper work may not be needed.  Most patients who are considering this type of procedure have more than minimal laxity so more extensive work is required which take more time and are probably best performed with at least sedation or general anesthesia in some cases.  There are a lot of variables involved when deciding which is the most appropriate surgery, surgeon, and anesthesia so please make sure to consult with board-certified plastic surgeons for a discussion of these variables and to help you make the best choice.  Good luck!