I am still very tight and feel choked when I put my head down. Swallowing is still not comfortable. What is nomal recovery?

Question

I had a feacelift and neck lift almost 3 weeks ago. I feel very tight and choked when I put my head down. My mouth dies not open all the way and I can not move my jaw side to side very easily. I had this done out of state and the doctor is not following me .Is a revision available if this does not get better? And when can I expect to feel comfortable? I am 56 and am athletic. I am wondering when I can get back to normal activity.

Guy Watts, MBBS (Hons), FRACS (Plast) · Answer

Feelings of tightness in the face and neck after this type of surgery is common. It relates to both the surgical process of tightening the skin and underlying structures and also post operative swelling. With time the swelling will settle and the tissues will relax. After investing such a large amount in your appearance I would encourage you to wait for 6-8 weeks before returning to your usual activities. Light walking will be fine at this stage but the last thing you would want is to undo all the tissue tightening by over extending yourself. Best of luck.RegardsDr Guy Watts

Jeffrey Rockmore, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  It is difficult to comment on the symptoms that you are having without knowing exactly what was done during your necklift.  There are a variety of different ways to treat the neck, all of which have different ramifications.  In some cases, a suspension stitch is used, which can create the symptoms that you are experiencing.  In other cases, the platysma muscle is tightened to improve the neck contour.  This can have some neck tightness, but is typically more self limited.I would suggest contacting your initial surgeon and getting copies of the operative report.  If possible, you might be able to speak with him by phone.  Otherwise, a second opinion may be needed if the symptoms do not resolve.  Unfortunately, this can be one of the drawbacks to having your surgery done far from your home.Best of luck with your neck.Jeff Rockmore

Mark Gaon, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

The internal feeling of tightness shortly after a facelift/Necklift procedure is entirely normal. The key to a properly performed procedure is to tighten the underlying soft tissues while allowing for gentle redraping of the overlying skin. The skin itself should not be carrying any of the tension, only the tissues below. The deep tightness you feel now is your assurance that you will have a great lasting result for years to come. In a few short weeks this tightness will subside. Certainly at 2.5 weeks out, you are socially presentable, but tissue swelling, scar maturation and softening of the result will take several more weeks. If you didn't feel somewhat tight at this juncture, then I'd worry that your great results would be more temporary. Make sure that 8-10 years down the road you go back and thank your surgeon for doing the procedure the right way while your friends who took shortcuts and had less invasive "lunchtime" or "mini" lifts are shopping for repeat surgery.In the meantime, your current symptoms can be lessened with frequent manual massage, gentle range of motion exercises with movement of the neck side to side/up and down, and repeated opening/closing of the mouth. Manual massage is best done right after a nice hot shower. Also, your surgeon may perform ultrasound assisted massage of your neck and face in the office every few days to hasten the recovery process.

I am still very tight and feel choked when I put my head down. Swallowing is still not comfortable. What is nomal recovery?

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