Unfortunately, a facelift may fail to produce the expected result, requiring revision surgery. You may have had a successful facelift, but the results are now fading. In either case, a revision facelift is needed. At Leong Facial Plastic Surgery in Pittsburgh, we are often called upon to perform a revision when a facelift has led to an uneven or unacceptable result, or to restore the refreshed look of the first surgery.
When revision facelift surgery is necessary
Various surgical errors can lead to a poor result in facelift surgery. The range of issues that could require revision include:
- Visible facial scarring
- Thread lift complications such as visible sutures
- Facelift failed to create the look envisioned by the patient
- Face looks unnatural
- Uneven results
- Earlobes look unusual
- Lack of aesthetic harmony
- The face appears surgically altered rather than natural
- Dimpling, dents, ridges or other aesthetic problems
What to expect in a facelift revision surgery
After having experienced a primary facelift surgery, it is very distressing to realize that a revision is necessary. You need to ensure that the revision is performed by a highly-skilled facial plastic surgeon so that the errors, flaws, or an unpleasant look is correctly resolved. The procedure is customized, based on the problems from the primary surgery, whether performed with older techniques, in another country, or with poor surgical techniques. You can expect a recovery time similar to the original surgery, but in some cases, the recovery may be slightly longer if excessive scarring needed resolution.
The challenges of a revision facelift
After a primary facelift, your facial skin is thinner, you have existing scars, and your original surgery may not have repositioned the underlying tissue, leading to a tight, pulled, uneven result. The goal of facelift revision surgery is to resolve these problems and restore a more natural, lifted look.
A second facelift: Revision surgery
If you had a facelift in the past, the results are long-lasting but cannot halt the aging process. After ten or fifteen years, you may see your facial skin starting to sag and droop. A revision can be performed to restore the fresh, youthful look you enjoyed from your primary surgery.
Should I have a revision facelift?
If your original facelift results have faded away, or you had a facelift that did not meet your expectations, you are probably a good candidate for revision surgery. When considering a revision facelift, the most critical points are the skills, reputation, and results of the plastic surgeon you select. Dr. Paul Leong is a double board-certified plastic surgeon who has a reputation as being among the most accomplished facial plastic surgeons in Pennsylvania and beyond.