My Second Face Lift in 20 Years?

These procedures are not necessarily that much more difficult technically, however they are a bit more risky, as one can never be sure what was done with the facial nerve in the prior surgery.  Careful technique, and often going a bit more conservatively on the actual deep tissue work is usually required to assure no complications.

I don't agree that a second facelift is harder to perform then the first.  I have done hundreds of secondary facelifts.  Occasionally, there is some scar tissue that can make the flap elevation somewhat harder, but this has not been a significant issue in my practice.

Secondary facelifts can be more challenging than primary facelifts because one may have some facial asymmetry, mid-facial scarring, or a degree of facial deformity depending on the previous procedure. The goal would be to perform the 5 R’s: Resect the scar, Release it, Reshape, Refill, all to Restore the patient to a natural looking face.