Visible bands after neck lift - can it be fixed? (photos)

I am sorry you have had a less then optimal outcome, that is very distressing. Don't lose hope, platysmal bands after a neck lift can occur and can be corrected. If you seek a second opinion, bring your operative report with you so the new surgeon knows what procedures were performed.

Your physical exam should reveal whether the band is due to just loose skin or more likely muscle fibers. As the rest of your neck looks smooth and seems to have good skin tone, I would suggest operating through a short horizontal incision under the chin, transecting the platysma muscle(s) below the band, perhaps even removing part of the muscle to prevent it reconnecting and pulling down, and then suturing the muscles together and upward. For this to work, your skin can't be too loose there in the front of your neck. If the skin is loose, then it has to be pulled backward as with a standard necklift.

Hello,
Thank you for your question. I can appreciate the bands you mentioned. Without more information about your necklift (i.e. was the muscle ever brought together in the midline?) it is difficult to speculate about what happened. This could be fixed with a necklift under local (awake) or general anesthesia. I wish you all the best.
Mark G. Albert, M.D., F.A.C.S.New York, NY and Boston, MA