Rhytidectomy (Face or Neck Lift)

Perhaps the most dramatic way to reverse the signs of aging is the facelift. With this procedure, often combined with blepharoplasty or lid lifts and almost always done with an acid peel, the sagging of the face and neck can be corrected. If the forehead has significant wrinkling, a forehead lift can also be done at the same time.

In the past ten years, modification of the operation has been achieved to tighten the deeper muscles of the face, giving a more lasting and natural effect. To restore the more youthful position of the cheeks, a volumetric lift is frequently done, lifting the malar fat pads to a higher position.

For over fifteen years, Dr. McAvoy has been doing a simultaneous TCA (trichloroacetic acid) peel to address the problem of fine wrinkling. This combination has been recently re-discovered by many surgeons who had tried laser and grew dissatisfied with the results of the laser.

Complete cessation of smoking for at least three weeks before surgery is a must. Frequently our staff will work with you pre-operatively using prescriptions to decrease fine wrinkling and prepare your skin as needed.

Some Highlights:

• Most are done with general anesthesia. Sedation and local anesthesia, or Propofol^TM; is also available
• Surgery takes about three to five hours, depending on the number of associated procedures
• Most patients return to home the same day
• Costs may vary widely from about $7500 when done under local anesthesia to $15,000 when general anesthesia and multiple procedures are chosen
• In keeping with our desire to maintain patient privacy, examples are shown extensively in the office with blocking of parts of the face, and in limited examples on this website

Some Typical Results Of Dr. McAvoy’s Surgery:

1 year after

Patient had facelift, upper and lower
blepharoplasty and peri-oral TCA peel

6 Weeks After

Patient had Facelift with muscle lift, upper and lower lids and TCA peel and fat injection into forehead creases

10 Months After

An example of a volumetric facelift, with TCA peel, ten months post-op. A revision of the cheeks under local was done at six months to release some persistent creasing

4 months after

A patient who had classical facelift and TCA peel of around the mouth

Six Weeks Post-Operative

This Patient Had A Volumetric Lift with Suction Under the Chin

After

Some patients have been happy with suction alone of the chin, but this does not address jowls or laxity of the cheeks.

These more limited procedures can be performed under sedation, with less cost and downtime compared with a full lift.