10 months post op facelift & necklift - bad result and why still swollen? (Photo)

It does take time for swelling to abate.  However, 10 months is a lot of time.  A neck revision with ptatysma transection and skin repositioning would be helpful.  Would need to see you to stand behind that statement.

By the 10-month mark, the results
you see now are likely permanent. Although I don't think your overall results
are "bad," I can certainly see room for improvement in the form of a
platysmaplasty to further smooth and refine your neck. Ongoing swelling could
indicate fluid buildup, which your surgeon can help you resolve. I wish you
well as you navigate this next step.

I'm sorry to read that you
are disappointed with your results. At 10 months, the swelling should have
resolved, so now is an appropriate time to consider revision. You do have
submental fullness, as well as platysmal banding. Transecting the playtsmal
bands when you have other issues runs the risk of more irregularities. I would
favor a more complete revision from a lateral approach to deal with the
submental fullness and tighten the platysma, possibly together with a medial
platysmaplasty and selective platysmal transection. Platysmal banding can be
challenging to deal with on its own, but your problem is more extensive.
Transection of the platysma bands is enticing in terms of its simplicity, but
in more complex situations, I have found the procedure to be unpredictable.
Best wishes.

Elevating the neck skin along the entire neck and suturing the platysma band edges together with transection of the ones you see in animation should do the trick.  No further defatting of the neck should be done as this could lead to a deep indentation in the midline. 

Thank you for your question.  Yes, I believe that most of the swelling from surgery should be gone by now.  From the pictures that your have posted, I do see some fullness under the chin and some platysmal banding.  I usually do not recommend transecting the platysma as a first-line solution.  You may be a candidate for a revision of the submental area and the platysma, as well.  Discuss your concerns with your surgeon.  Be sure to seek out consultation from a board certified facial plastic or general plastic surgeon who specializes in face and neck lifts. I hope that this helps!-David Gilpin

Most of the swelling in usually gone by this time.  What I see is platysma bands that need to be addressed.  Transecting them and bringing them together will help.  You can always seek a second opinion. 

Your platysma bands are what you see and not swelling. You need a second opinion by an experienced revision facelift surgeon. I do not think just cutting the bans will be the solution for this problem.

Ten months after the procedure should be enough
time to evaluate the results, and the swelling should have resolved by now. If
your neck muscle was tightened directly through an incision under your chin,
then you have recurrent banding. This can be addressed by opening the incision
and tightening the bands again. Division of the bands can also be part of the
solution. If the neck was not opened directly, that would explain why the bands
are obvious this long after your procedure. If that's the case, it can be
corrected by undergoing a platsymaplasty. Thanks for your question, and best of
luck.

It
is true that some swelling can last longer for some than others. Typically most
of the swelling is gone at 10 months. However, if you are noticing swelling that
comes and goes than you may have a small fluid collection called a seroma. If this is the case then it may require
drainage, and or the continued wearing of a compressive garment. The bands present in the front of the
neck are the result of the neck muscles
splitting with age. You may benefit from
transection and or plication of the muscle to help reduce the appearance of the
bands. Transecting the muscle usually requires
an incision under the chin while a plication may be performed under the chin as
an anterior approach or as a posterior approach to tighten the muscles and
tension on the muscles to reduce the appearance of the bands. I normally do not perform transection but prefer
a posterior plication instead which can be performed through the same neck lift
incisions.

are going to be needed but simple transection may not do the trick... only your surgeon knows what was done at your original procedure so that knowledge should help direct him/her to the best solution possible.  If you did not have your neck opened (like with mini-facelifts) you shouldn't have expected a perfectly smooth neck.  But if you did, well you need a revision but an anterior platysmaplasty may be better than just cutting the bands.  Discuss the options with your surgeon and pick what will work best for you.  As for timing, a year out should be more than adequate to 'go back'.