What is the average length of time required in surgery to complete a necklift?

 

Surgical time for a neck lift can vary greatly, depending on the surgeon's experience, concurrent technology use, and finally the degree of presenting face and neck laxity.

On the experience side, if a physician is combining a lateral facelift with a submental incision and platysmalplasty, expect the surgery to take anywhere from 1.5-3 hours, depending on the degree of work that needs to be done. Surgeon  case volume can impact these surgery times.  Be aware that the type of anesthesia used may also cause varied operative times.

On the technology side, newer devices  like laser liposuction (which can reduce bleeding), absorbable barbed sutures which don't require knot tying, and products like PRP (platelet rich plasma) can reduce operative times. There are also a host of new cautery devices that when combined with facelifting can also reduce dissection times.

Finally, there are many different types of lifting techniques and combinations, and good surgeons tend to vary the approaches based on the degree of laxity and expressed patient expectations. For example, some people can get by with just lateral facelifting, or maybe combined lifting with just some type of liposuction. In these scenarios, times may be diminished. One thing to note however is that some people have features (heavier neck/jowls, thicker skin, etc) that may add more time to surgery. To this end it is important to have a frank discussion with your physician on what they think the times will be based on your features and your desired new look. Good luck.

   An isolated necklift with a submental incision is not as powerful as a face and neck lift with both sets of incisions.  An isolated necklift may take 20 or 30 minutes, while a face and neck lift with SMAS plication and fat grafting may take 3 hours.

Length of time will vary largely dependent on the extent of surgery by your plastic surgeon. Minor procedures may be roughly 30 minutes, while more extensive procedure may be closer to several hours. There is also preparation time prior to the actual surgery, along with the time after the surgery when you're going to the recovery area. Patients may stay in the recovery area for approximately 1-2 hours before going home.

Lastly, cosmetic surgery is not a race. Plastic surgeons will take the appropriate amount of time to perform safe surgery. Your plastic surgeon will provide an expected amount of time, but the actual time may still vary somewhat. Patients are comfortable throughout the process though, whether it's minutes or hours.

 

Dr. Chaboki

 

It really depends on what needs to be done.  There are a number of surgical steps in a neck lift and some patients need a couple of those steps while other may need all.  Steps are:


Neck liposuction

Submentoplasty

Platysmaplasty

Platysmal myotomy

Submandibular gland resection

Posterior skin excision


I have performed neck lifts ranging in time from 30 minutes to 3 hours

 

Lifting the neck to create a better angle of the jawline is done by a variety of techniques.  Every neck is different and each necklift must be tailored to the patients to include patients goals, risk tolerance, and tolerance for downtime.  It is most important to do your research and choose a great doctor, understand the procedure, and clearly define your goals.  Time in the operating room should be low on your level of concerns. 

Neck lifts are one of the most popular procedures now since they dramatically improve patient's appearance and look natural and tend to be affordable for most patients. They can be done under local anesthesia now which is a major improvement whether it is a mini facelift were the skin of the jawline and neck is pulled back ($6,000) and/or platysmaplasty were the skin under the chin is removed and tied tight ($4,500) or whether liposuction alone can improve the neck a lot with just removal of the excess fat pulling down on the jowls and neck ($2,500) or combination of the above. Time is of little concern when quality results are needed.

So far there are good answers to this question. I would say it really depends on what you need. A  isolated submentoplasty may take me 45 minutes to an hour and a simple neck lift 1 and a half hours. A more involved procedure may take several hours. All of these procedures may be done under sedation or general anesthesia. The faster the surgery is not what counts! You want a good result so choose your doctor based on reputation and results! Good luck.

Neck lift is a generic term, so you really need to be specific when asking about surgical times.  It would also depend on what other procedures you are having at the same time.  In general, facial procedures take between 1.5 and 4 hours depending on if you are having neck only, muscle plication, facelift, etc.  The length of surgery also depends on the type of anesthesia, surgeon's pace of operating and many other factors.  

 

Good Luck.

Dear Jean6200,

It can take 2-3 hours depending on the anatomy and goals of the procedure

In rare cases it can be a little shorter or longer

When going to your consultations, I would pay more attention to the results rather than time

You can have a lunchtime necklift, but get results that last only 1 year...and as you know, there is no such thing as a free lunch

Best regards,

Nima Shemirani

The average length of time for a neck lift runs anywhere from 1-1/2 to 2 hours depending upon the procedure and the patient.