FACELIFT

The effects of gravity, sunlight, and the stress of daily life cause the formation of signs of aging on people’s faces. Deep lines, wrinkles, folds and fat accumulations that occur on the face, especially on and around the eyelids, around the mouth and cheeks, under the chin and neck, become prominent. With the effect of aging or genetically, facial tissues decrease and weaken and sag in the direction of gravity over the facial bones.

Endoscopic face rejuvenation surgery is performed while stretching the face as much as possible without leaving a visible incision scar on the face. It is one of the relatively new methods developed to rejuvenate the face, which is done by entering through very small incisions hidden in the hair, that is, closed, with the help of an endoscopic camera and looking at the screen. It has been applied for approximately 10 years. It is one of the best techniques used to correct sagging that occurs on the forehead and eyebrows.

With this technique, it is used not only to rejuvenate the face but also to beautify it in accordance with today’s understanding of beauty. In other words, the integrity and beauty of the face are ensured by completing some formations that are missing on the face from birth by completing them from their own tissues. At the same time, sagging and loosening that occur due to aging are corrected and a younger and more dynamic appearance is tried to be achieved. In other words, this technique is used for both rejuvenation and beautification.

Thanks to the latest endoscopic cameras used with the development of digital camera systems, the image during the operation is close to perfect, making it easier for us to reach large areas by entering through small incisions, which allows us to use surgical techniques comfortably.

Endoscopic surgical technique is applied in many areas of medicine. This technique, which is also called closed surgery or bloodless surgery among the public, is widely applied in general surgery, urology, gynecology and orthopedics. Now it is also used in plastic and aesthetic surgery to perform operations without making large incisions, that is, without leaving scars.

Endoscopic surgical technique is used in facial rejuvenation, eyebrow lifting, forehead rejuvenation, neck rejuvenation and placement of facial prostheses. The surgical technique to be applied is chosen after determining the needs of the patient with the planning made before the surgery and combined as needed.

In old-type face lift surgeries, facial tissues are only stretched upwards and backwards. The face is a three-dimensional structure. Therefore, the face lift procedure should be done in three dimensions. In two-dimensional classic face lift, if the tissues are only pulled backwards and upwards, an artificial expression is formed on the face as if it has entered a wind tunnel.

In this technique, the face is not only stretched upwards and backwards, but also the sagging cheek tissues are pulled upwards from inside the cheek, and the cheeks and face are plumped up as if filling a pillowcase, and the face is also stretched forward in the third dimension. No tissue injection or injection of substances such as silicone or cheekbone prosthesis is applied to the cheeks from the outside. In other words, the cheeks are plumped up without putting a substance from the outside. As a result, the face is rejuvenated three-dimensionally by being stretched upwards, backwards and forwards.

Surgical Technique

This technique, called three-dimensional facial rejuvenation surgery, was developed by Dr. Oscar Ramirez. The surgery is performed under the skin by inserting a camera and instruments through 1-1.5 cm incisions made in the hairy skin. In normal face lift surgery, we perform the operation by seeing the places we open to see with the eye with the help of a camera without cutting.

According to the patient’s needs, the eyebrows are lifted, the forehead is tightened, the cheeks are hung to the ear level with special stitches. In addition, the fullness of the face is also provided by bringing the patient’s own tissues in the cheek to the cheekbones. Thus, while the facial skin is stretched upwards and backwards, the cheeks are plumped up and the facial skin is stretched forwards. In other words, a three-dimensional face lift is provided.

If the patient has eyelid sagging and deformity, eyelid aesthetics is also added. In patients with a downward eye axis, this axis can also be corrected upwards to give the eyes a more attractive expression.

Later, the patient’s neck rejuvenation procedure is performed, for this, after the excess fat in this area is removed from the 1.5 cm incisions made under the chin and behind the ear, the neck muscles are tightened and the skin is re-adapted here, and neck rejuvenation is also provided. In patients with a receding chin, a chin prosthesis can be placed to increase chin projection if necessary.

• Endoscopic face lift surgery is a total of 2-3 hour operation.
• The patient stays in the hospital for 1 night.
• Since the stitches dissolve on their own, there is no stitch removal procedure.
• Most of the swelling goes down within 7-10 days, and the rest goes down within 4-6 weeks.
• Full recovery may take 6-12 months.

As a result, since the sagging tissues are brought back to their old places in the patient, a natural-looking rejuvenation is achieved and the surgery is performed without leaving a visible scar from the outside.