+49 0152 51366453The Preparation for a face-tightening
- Taking aspirin or similar medications in the two weeks prior to the operation are forbidden, as these can inhibit blood clotting.
- Cut back on smoking and drinking alcohol several days before the operation. It is best to completely refrain from smoking.
- Plan on taking at least 10 days off after the operation. It is not possible to be certified unfit for work due to a face lift operation.
- Please clear up all questions before you report for the operation. The patient must sign a so-called informed consent before the operation. This form documents the planned surgical procedure and the risks involved with it. Your signature confirms that you have been informed of the procedure and the potential risks involved.
The Surgery of a facelifting
Depending on how extensive the operation is, a face lift can be performed on an outpatient or inpatient basis. In any case, Vitalitas offers you the security of being attended to by trained personnel. The length of the operation depends on the extent of what is to be done. As a rule it lasts approximately 2 – 3 hours.
The incision for a face lift runs along the front of the ear and leads along the hairline to the back of the earlobe. The incision follows the natural lines or creases of the skin so that it is as inconspicuous as possible. The skin is separated from the underlying muscles and fat and pulled tight to its original position. Skin, muscles and fat and connective tissue are in various layers and change differently in the aging process. Each of these structures is corrected after individual analysis. Excess fat from the chin, neck and cheeks can be contoured so that facial regions that are sunken in, for example under the eyes, can be filled with it. In order to maintain the aesthetic unity of face and neck and to achieve the longest possible results, the tissue from the neck and face must be tightened. Any excess skin is removed and then sewn up again.
Before closing the wound, the surgeon inserts fine drainage tubes behind the ear so that any blood and excess fluid can flow out immediately after the operation. For the first few days an elastic bandage helps to keep down the swelling.
The Anaesthesia
Face lifts are usually performed under general anaesthesia. In this way, you as a patient are spared as much stress as possible. The anaesthetist decides after a thorough examination whether or not a patient can undergo general anaesthesia. The anaesthetist is present during the complete operation and monitors the anaesthesia.
If for some reason general anaesthesia is not possible, then the face lift can also be performed with a local anaesthetic. In addition to the anaesthetic, a sedative is also administered, making the patient very drowsy. You are then awake and relaxed, but you don’t feel anything except a slight pulling or similar sensations without any pain during the complete procedure. The sedative can be taken as a pill, or injected into a vein in the arm.