Why would a doctor chose to use stitches instead of Artiss for a facelift? P

Artiss is a tissue sealant and meant to be used to adhere 2 tissue surfaces together.  But it does not have strength to hold skin edges together when there is some tension put on them.  There is the small possibility that it could transmit disease.  A well closed suture line for a facelift is nearly invisble.  It would likely increase the cost as Artiss is more expensive than a single suture.

Sutures are always required to perform a face lift in order to close the wound.  Artiss is an aerosolized medication that is used to help prevent blood from accumulating under the skin that is elevated during the face lift, and it is not used by all surgeons.  I use Artiss on all of my face lifts for this reason in addition to the fact that it reduces post-operative bruising.  I have had great success with it.  I wish you well!  

Sutures are required to close wounds. Artiss can assist with holding tissues together but is not required nor does it ever replace sutures. It simply is not strong enough to counter the effects of muscle movement and gravity, and surgeons don't want patients walking around with big scars or open wounds!

Closing the facelift incisions is one of the most important parts of the procedure. It must be done with great care and precision in order to get the best result. Once healed, the face lift incisions should virtually be undetectable. Fine suturing is preferred over tissue glues because the sutures provide more long term predictable support for healing soft tissues.

Thank you for your question.  Stitches are required in order to maintain the tissues elevated during a facelift in place until healing by the body takes over.  Artist is used as a glue to help prevent formation of fluid collections and to stop bleeding but will not support your tissues enough to heal appropriately.  Hope that this helps.

Good question.  I prefer to use sutures to close the incisions on the face/neck lift primarily to increase the strength of the incision so there is no chance of the suture line coming open.  We take the sutures out at a certain time to lessen the scarring.  I would recommend sitting down with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss some of the issues, and questions you will have going forward.  You will also be able to look at some before and after photos of work he/she has done, and get to question how many he/she does on a weekly/monthly basis.  Good luck

I don't think that it matters what type of sealant or sutures are used during a facelift since the scars are almost never an issue when a facelift is performed by a surgeon with extensive experience and specialization. I'd recommend seeking out a surgeon that regularly performs facelifts (several a week) and specializes in the face. It's the contouring of the face that is the goal of a facelift. Skin is not the issue, it's the deeper layer of the face. Once the contour of the deeper layer of the face is corrected, the skin just comes along for the ride and excess skin is removed and closed. Good facelift surgeons don't put tension on the skin to get the result since they know that type of tension will not give a good result and it will not last.Andrew Campbell, M.D.Facial Plastic SpecialistQuintessa Aesthetic Centers

Surgical tissue adhesives are used to eliminate the space created when the skin is elevated off the deeper tissue during the procedure. It has no role in providing the elevation of the deeper tissues or in the closure of the wound as it does not have enough strength to do this. Sutures are used for those purposes.

Surgical glue is a wonderful tool, when used the right way. However, it has not replaced stitches in modern surgery. Surgical glue for a facelift can be sprayed into the wound prior to closure to help the layers seal together and prevent seroma or hematoma. Even then, most facelift surgeons do not use these glues as there is no real good evidence that they prevent hematoma or fluid buildup, and in that case would simply add cost to the patient's bill without benefit.The deeper tissues are the foundation of a good facelift and it is necessary to make sure that they are pulled together firmly and strongly to resist the passage of time and make the longevity better. A thin film of glue will not accomplish this. So, even though glue sounds more "cutting edge "and sophisticated then tying things together with suture, in fact, sutures are the mainstay, and for good reason.Best of luck!Dr. SubbioBoard-Certified Plastic SurgeonNewtown Square/Philadelphia, PA

Sutures are needed for deep tissue manipulation. Fibrin sealants such as Artiss may be helpful in "gluing" down flaps to prevent serous formations but do lead to more scarring. Their use in patients that have developed a hematoma due to unforeseen bleeding issues can be very helpful. The final closure of skin is better done with fine sutures placed either in a sub cutaneous running fashion or directly if they are very small and absorbable. You get a very fine scar this way. I don't think it helps to use it on the skin itselfDr. J