Why do I have dents in my neck after neck lift? (Photo)

Question

does anyone know what i should do? I am almost 3 months post op and am shocked how terrible these dents look on certain angles. my sugeon recommended i get fat injections but my experience with fat is unpredictable, so I am wondering if there is a better filler. I am willing to do whatever it takes. I have money. i picked a reputable surgeon in OC. I wish I knew what went wrong. I am so depressed.

Brian K. Machida, MD, FACS · Answer

Its in your best interest to wait longer before considering intervention.  Massage and sometime ultrasound will help with your irregularities.  It looks as if you might have residual fluid which has become orgainzed into swelling above your horizontal crease and made your horizontal creases look more indented.  This should improve with time.  Its also possible that the vertical bands and corresponding indentations were present before surgery and those are platysmal bands which were not in the intended field of dissection.  A look at your pre op photos would show that situation.  An in person consultation with pre op and post op photos would help shed light on the situation.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

I suggest seeing an expert this can be improved with non invasive options but also may need a revision procedure of the skin and muscle.  Please see an expert for a consult.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Jennifer Boll, MD · Answer

Thank you for taking the time to post a question. I am sorry that your healing has been complicated. The indention is due to scar tissue in the area and at 3 months after surgery, it should have reached its peak. I would recommend massage to facilitate break down of the scar tissue. And I would recommend that you consider the fat grafting that your surgeon recommended. Yes, it can be unpredictable but it can also soften the indention nicely. It is a more permanent solution than filler. Discuss this with your surgeon. I'm sure he/she feels very bad about this and will help do what it takes to improve it. Good luck!

Adam Goodwin, MBBS, FRCS(Plast) · Answer

So the basic rule of thumb is leave revision surgery or treatment until there is no chance of nature fixing the problem. You seem to have some scar fixation at the CM angle which gives you that pinched look. There are a number of ways to treat this, some more invasive than others. Number one is nature and massage and time. At three months, you are still in the early phase of recovery. There is every chance that this scar will soften over the next 3-6 months. The question is whether softening will improve the contour and reduce the gather. Without meeting you face to face and assessing the quality and rigidness of the scar this is impossible to comment upon. The next option may be to inject some fat under the scar to allow it to be more mobile and natural. This is a low risk procedure and may help the tethering improve significantly. The third option is to undergo a revision to dissect beyond the scar combined with some fat transfer to re suspend the neck skin less adherently. This is of course another operation under general anesthetic and so carries the most risk, not least of all, the same thing happening again. It might be worth trying these three techniques in turn and giving each a chance before moving on to the next.Hope that helpsAdam Goodwin

Frederic H. Corbin, MD (license restricted) · Answer

Thank you for the question and photo and the good news is that there are probably several ways to fix the problem but which might be best will require an examination.  So see some experts in your area and be evaluatedDr Corbin

Michael Elam, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear FarahM, An examination and consultation would best determine the next course of action to help you with your concerns. At this immediate time I would consider speaking with your surgeon and have him/her show you some massaging techniques to help breakdown some of the scar tissue. If you seek secondary opinion a copy of your operative report would be helpful and pre-operative photographs to determine what techniques were used during your necklift. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.

Why do I have dents in my neck after neck lift? (Photo)

Answers (6)

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