Can a mini mid face lift be performed under local anesthesia?

The description of a plastic surgery procedure can be difficult to understand. There is no specific procedure that is a "minilift". Some surgeons will do a minimal incision lift while others, like myself, perform a true deep plane facelift in the office using local anesthetic and call it a "minilift". I personally believe that I get better results and longer lasting results by releasing these ligamentous attachments and that's why I use the deep plane technique.

Andrew Campbell, M.D.
Facial Rejuvenation Specialist
Quintessa

Hello,Yes, a midface lift can be performed under local anesthesia. In fact, even a full deep plane facelift along with ancillary procedures such as browlift, lip lift, and blepharoplasty can be performed with just local. It depends on the patient and the provider.Midface, mini lifts, and other similar named procedures are just names used to describe procedures that do less. However, there is no real standardization for these. You can do a midface by simply removing some skin, pulling on the SMAS, or doing a deep plane. You can do a full facelift and not release the ligaments as well. The ligaments are released with a deep plane approach. The longevity has been suggested to be longer but it's a point of discussion among some surgeons. The biggest benefit of the deep plane is that tissues are repositioned without tension and without distorting or pulling on the muscles of facial expression. When consulting, don't go by the "name" of the facelift. Ask what the surgeon is proposing to actually do for you and why. Have them explain it in real world terms. Go to several consultations with quality surgeons and compare the answers. Good luck!

Mini lifts give mini results, and we rarely perform them. The midface ages, not by vertical descent, but by volume loss, therefore, we restore that volume with fat injections or cheek implants. Needed such as your age and a full set of facial photographs so that surgeons on this platform can make a determination about what is best for you based on your current anatomy and aging process

All aspects of facelift surgery can be done using only local anesthesia with or without sedation or under general anesthesia.
What’s involved in the procedure depends on how the operation is done. There is in reality, no clear definition of what constitutes a mini versus full facelift.
As is the case with almost all plastic surgery procedures provider selection is the most important variable, and I suggest patients focus most of their effort on provider selection as being key variable in determining consistent quality outcomes.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD