I am a 63 year old woman and had a facelift and necklift almost 5 months ago. There was always some swelling on left side under jaw which surgeon thought would go away and didn't. Then this week I was painting my ceiling and looking up a lot. I felt a sharp burning streak down same left side from ear to jaw and now see additional swelling & sagging and feeling of inflammation. Could I have separated the platysmal muscle? and if so, how do I correct this so I have a better result. Thank you.
Answer: Neck laxity after facelift surgery Thank you for sharing your photo and asking your question. Based on your personal history of the events and the image you provide I feel that you would require a revision neck lift procedure. There is excess skin, the appearance of platysma separation, and maybe submandibular gland fullness. The burning along the left side of the neck does not represent the mid-line treatment of the platysma, but most likely represents the release of a scar or part of the outer attachment of the platysma. If you did not develop bruising in the region after pain and burning, then you do not/did not have a hematoma (blood collection). The lion's share of swelling is resolved by 6 months so I would not point to this as the culprit of your concerns either. I am sorry that you have these concerns and I am certain that your surgeon would want to address them. I advise that you contact your primary surgeon to express your concerns. If they are not addressed, then I would recommend obtaining a second opinion. I hope this helps you in finding your answer.Be healthy and be well,James M. Ridgway, MD, FACS
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Answer: Neck laxity after facelift surgery Thank you for sharing your photo and asking your question. Based on your personal history of the events and the image you provide I feel that you would require a revision neck lift procedure. There is excess skin, the appearance of platysma separation, and maybe submandibular gland fullness. The burning along the left side of the neck does not represent the mid-line treatment of the platysma, but most likely represents the release of a scar or part of the outer attachment of the platysma. If you did not develop bruising in the region after pain and burning, then you do not/did not have a hematoma (blood collection). The lion's share of swelling is resolved by 6 months so I would not point to this as the culprit of your concerns either. I am sorry that you have these concerns and I am certain that your surgeon would want to address them. I advise that you contact your primary surgeon to express your concerns. If they are not addressed, then I would recommend obtaining a second opinion. I hope this helps you in finding your answer.Be healthy and be well,James M. Ridgway, MD, FACS
Helpful 5 people found this helpful
Answer: Platysma separation after facelift Based on your photo, and on your history, it is unlikely that a suture came undone or your muscle was pulled apart 5 months later. It seems you may need to have the muscle reapproximated. Sometimes removing too much fat centrally can create a similar deformity and sometimes the submandibular glands can contribute to that appearance. Partner with your plastic surgeon to see what can be done.
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Answer: Platysma separation after facelift Based on your photo, and on your history, it is unlikely that a suture came undone or your muscle was pulled apart 5 months later. It seems you may need to have the muscle reapproximated. Sometimes removing too much fat centrally can create a similar deformity and sometimes the submandibular glands can contribute to that appearance. Partner with your plastic surgeon to see what can be done.
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August 20, 2014
Answer: Revision of platysma plastic might be necessary to improve the appearance. The symptoms you described don't add up to a specific diagnosis but the photograph looks as though some revision of the platysma muscle might be of benefit. One would also want to examine the sub mandibular glands carefully to see if they are large.
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August 20, 2014
Answer: Revision of platysma plastic might be necessary to improve the appearance. The symptoms you described don't add up to a specific diagnosis but the photograph looks as though some revision of the platysma muscle might be of benefit. One would also want to examine the sub mandibular glands carefully to see if they are large.
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March 3, 2015
Answer: 5 months after a facelift the best thing would be to be seen in person by your surgeon who can examine you to determine what is going on. If this happened 5 months after, you may have a fluid or blood collection that developed. It is unlikely that a muscle tear would create this appearance.
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March 3, 2015
Answer: 5 months after a facelift the best thing would be to be seen in person by your surgeon who can examine you to determine what is going on. If this happened 5 months after, you may have a fluid or blood collection that developed. It is unlikely that a muscle tear would create this appearance.
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July 14, 2014
Answer: Sudden neck swelling 5 months after facelift Based on the photo you provided you'd need to check with your surgeon to make sure you don't have a collection of blood/fluid creating that lump on your left side. It's possible that a suture pulled on the muscle in the area as you were looking up while painting, but that alone wouldn't explain the large swollen area. We're a bit limited in evaluating the area without seeing it in person, though.
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July 14, 2014
Answer: Sudden neck swelling 5 months after facelift Based on the photo you provided you'd need to check with your surgeon to make sure you don't have a collection of blood/fluid creating that lump on your left side. It's possible that a suture pulled on the muscle in the area as you were looking up while painting, but that alone wouldn't explain the large swollen area. We're a bit limited in evaluating the area without seeing it in person, though.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
