6 months after full facelift, necklift & platysmaplasty, I can feel firm-ish lumps either side of my neck, but they are not symmetrical. One side feels elongated (horizontally) and the other is round-ish. They feel slightly "nodular", like firm lumpy jelly, and sometimes tender. They are about an inch either side of the midline and about an inch below the jawline. Where exactly are they positioned, and should they be palpable?
April 13, 2016
Answer: Lumps in the neck following facelift Thank you for your question. It is impossible to assess your concern without pictures. The lumps that you are feeling could be your submandibular glands, reactive lymph nodes, or simply some residual postoperative swelling in the submandibular fat. I would suggest expressing your concerns to your surgeon, and he/she should be able to tell you what you are feeling. The submandibular glands typically rest just below the jawline on each side of the neck. Like all things, they can descend further into the neck as we age. The submandibular glands can certainly be more prominent following a facelift, due to swelling in the postoperative period and tightening of the skin over the glands. This will typically diminish with time as things heal and swelling resolves. It can take up to 9 - 12 months for postoperative swelling to completely resolve following a facelift. There is also some natural relaxation of the skin and platysma muscle that will occur in the first few months following facelift that will likely diminish the prominent appearance of the submandibular glands. If you can feel them, but they are not visible and cause no aesthetic concern, I would not worry about them. The submandibular glands can almost always be felt, and will likely require no intervention. I wish you the best in your recovery.
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April 13, 2016
Answer: Lumps in the neck following facelift Thank you for your question. It is impossible to assess your concern without pictures. The lumps that you are feeling could be your submandibular glands, reactive lymph nodes, or simply some residual postoperative swelling in the submandibular fat. I would suggest expressing your concerns to your surgeon, and he/she should be able to tell you what you are feeling. The submandibular glands typically rest just below the jawline on each side of the neck. Like all things, they can descend further into the neck as we age. The submandibular glands can certainly be more prominent following a facelift, due to swelling in the postoperative period and tightening of the skin over the glands. This will typically diminish with time as things heal and swelling resolves. It can take up to 9 - 12 months for postoperative swelling to completely resolve following a facelift. There is also some natural relaxation of the skin and platysma muscle that will occur in the first few months following facelift that will likely diminish the prominent appearance of the submandibular glands. If you can feel them, but they are not visible and cause no aesthetic concern, I would not worry about them. The submandibular glands can almost always be felt, and will likely require no intervention. I wish you the best in your recovery.
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April 11, 2016
Answer: Palpable submandibular glands after a facelift. Almost all submandibular glands can be palpated. Provided these do not create an aesthetic problem there's no reason to be concerned. Your plastic surgeon should be able to tell you whether or not this is the case.
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April 11, 2016
Answer: Palpable submandibular glands after a facelift. Almost all submandibular glands can be palpated. Provided these do not create an aesthetic problem there's no reason to be concerned. Your plastic surgeon should be able to tell you whether or not this is the case.
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