What to do about tightness of sternocleidomastoid muscle after facelift?

I'm not really sure I know the answer to the problem. Certainly five months there is still swelling so I would continue to be patient. At some point time it may be necessary to reoperating and release the soft tissues from that muscle and examine for excessive scarring that might benefit from excision.

Thank you for a great question.  I am sorry for the discomfort you are experiencing.  If it is a deep stitch, you may want to ask your surgeon if she uses dissolvable or permanent sutures.  Having a second opinion may also be of benefit if only for reassurance.  I hope you find this helpful. Best wishes!Consult with a Board Certified Fellowship Trained Facial Plastic Surgery Specialist."This answer has been solicited without seeing this patient and cannot be held as true medical advice, but only opinion. Seek in-person treatment with a trained medical professional for appropriate care."

Thank you for your question.Muscle tightness or spasm is not entirely uncommon after facelift surgery. There could be several causes--scarring, tight skin envelope, positioning. This should subside with time, and with the help of a well-trained physical therapist and stretching exercises.

Tightness of the neck muscles like the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) could happen after certain physical activities,positioning during sleeping or even including  face and neck surgery (e.g. neck lift and or facelift). In most of the cases the tightness go away with time and overt the counter pain killers. In cases where the tightness doesn't go away, patients may consider seeking evaluation by a physical therapist to determine potential cause and potential treatment. If the cause of the tightness is associated with previous surgery, management by the physical therapist should be approved by the primary surgeon 

Hello,  This is a difficult question to answer.  Why it has been determined that the sternocleidomastoid muscle is tight?  Do you have a restriction of motion on one side?  Or do you only have a tight feeling in your neck on or around the SCM and your neck movement is normal?  Is it on one side or both sides?  Without additional information such as the exact technique used including type of sutures and location of buried sutures as well as a first-person physical examination, I cannot answer your question with certainty.  I do believe however that the tightness will resolve one way or another.  If time, steroids, botox and massage do not resolve the issue, and you are in significant discomfort and anxious over this sensation, then exploring the region through a revision of the procedure would be warranted.  Possibly there is a suture entraping the muscle or scar tissue that can be released.  Revision surgery is an option although there are no guarantees that it will resolve the tight sensation in your neck.  If all else fails however, unfortunately a exploration of the area through revision surgery is a reasonable option.  A second opinion or even a third opinion by another surgeon is reasonable as well.  

Hello jeffersa,It is not common to still feel tight in that muscle this long after surgery.  The most common reason initially is from the sutures that are attached over the muscle.  If the suture is in the muscle, it may feel tight.  I use absorbable sutures but if a permanent one was used then a small procedure to release that suture might help.  The conservative treatmnet with massages, steroids, and Botox have already been tried.  You may also consider physical rehab as it may be related to something else.I hope this helps and good luck.  

Depending on the surgical technique this may resolve with time (e.g. if absorbable sutures were used, this is more likely). I would continue local and medical measures as well as physical therapy until a year after surgery and then consider re-exploration; be sure to continue to followup with your plastic surgeon as he/she is in the best position to take care of you. I hope this helps!

You will probably has some stitches that are on or close to the sternocleidomastoid and the scars may well have led to some scarring on the muscle. It is not unusual to have tension and discomfort in this area however by 5 months it should have resolved. Massage will help and there are a number of non surgical devices that could be used.I would suggest seeing a physiotherapist and consider anti-inflammatories. One also has to consider this being unrelated to the actual surgery and probably also worth seeing your family doctor to make sure there is no other underlying reason for your discomfort. I would not recommend further surgery unless there is a very good reason. I would consider an USS on your neck to have a look at the muscle - this is a relatively cheap imaging modality rather than having a more expensive MRI. You may need an MRI in due course if this doesn't resolve but I would not rush into further surgery - as this could make things worse.