Neck Lift
Conveniently located to serve St. Louis, Missouri
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As we age, the muscles of the neck weaken and can become more prominent and noticeable in the form of neck bands. Also, extra skin develops in the neck and fat may accumulate in the neck producing an aged appearance. All of these issues can be addressed with a neck lift.
A neck lift procedure improves the neck by tightening the muscles under the skin, removing excess fat and removing redundant skin. This smooths the appearance of the neck and defines the jaw line. Dr. Cabbabe believes the key to most face and neck lifts is do all of the necessary steps that will ensure a long – term result. These are often overlooked by other surgeons.
Dr. Cabbabe incorporates his experience with reconstructive and cosmetic surgery of the face to give patients the best results possible to meet their desires. He is also an expert in minimally invasive cosmetic surgery of the face and has published on these topics. His patients have a natural, refreshed look after surgery.
During your consultation, Dr. Cabbabe will carefully examine your entire face including the brow, upper and lower eyelids, face and neck. He will make recommendations in order to help you achieve your desired result while maintaining facial harmony. Dr. Cabbabe believes that the entire face should be in harmony and may recommend other procedures such as face lift, brow lift, upper blepharoplasty or lower blepharoplasty to be done at the same time.
Preparing for Surgery
Dr. Cabbabe will ask that you refrain from taking any aspirin, Plavix, Coumadin, ibuprofen or any other type of blood thinner. He will also ensure that your blood pressure has been properly controlled if you have high blood pressure. On the morning of surgery, Dr. Cabbabe will precisely mark the planned incision and injection lines.
Before & After Gallery
View before-and-after pictures of real patients of Cabbabe Plastic Surgery
Surgery
The procedure(s) is approximately 2-3 hours in length depending on the additional procedures incorporated. This procedure is usually done under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. Fine sutures are placed at the time of surgery which will be removed 5-7 days later.
If excess fat in the neck is the only concern, liposuction can be done to improve the contour. This can be done in most cases in the office with local anesthesia.
However, most patients require a more substantial procedure for a better long-term result. During a neck lift procedure, incisions are made around the ears and a small incision is made under the chin. Liposuction is generally incorporated to remove any excess fat in order to improve the contour of the neck. The muscles of the neck are then tightened in the central portion of the neck and the outer portions of the neck in order to eliminate any “bands” and to produce a smooth, youthful neck. Excess skin is then removed from around the ears.
If you are having a facelift, the same steps are carried out in addition to repositioning the cheeks and tightening the face.
The limitation of doing a neck lift without a facelift is difficulty in removing extra skin while being able to conceal the scar. Therefore, if you have significant skin in the neck, Dr. Cabbabe may recommend a “mini face-lift” in order to be able to remove the redundant skin in the neck which would extend up the ear and address any areas in the face at the same time.
Your Neck Lift will be performed in a hospital or surgery center in St. Louis, MO.
Recovery
Patients are able to go home after surgery, but some choose to stay overnight depending on the length of the procedure. Pain medication and antibiotics will be prescribed as needed. Bruising and swelling will be present for 1-2 weeks. Dr. Cabbabe will ask that you keep ice on the area to decrease this. He will also ask you to keep your head elevated to decrease swelling and apply antibiotic ointment to the incision line. The head and neck will be wrapped after surgery for 24 hours. A drain may be left in the neck for 1-3 days. Patients are able to shower the next day after removing the bandages. Antibiotics ointment will need to be applied to all incisions.
Complications
Possible complications include bleeding after surgery or hematoma, asymmetry, irregular contours and nerve injuries. These could potentially require additional surgery.