1. What do I do to prepare for facelift surgery?

A healthy diet and lifestyle are all that is mostly needed. A few patients might benefit from the aesthetician performing a peel or a facial pre-operatively.


2. What happens at the preoperative face lift appointment?

At this visit the surgeon will discuss again the issues that concern the patient and the surgical plan to correct them. Pictures are taken. The informed consents are explained, the lab work is reviewed and necessary prescriptions are given. The patient has a chance to ask all the questions.


3. What does informed consent mean?

Informed consent means that each patient goes through a thorough explanation of the surgery planned, the expected and unexpected risks and potential complications. Also a discussion of some alternative treatments is done. Only after the patient is informed in this fashion she/he will sign a document consenting to the planned surgery.


4. Where will my face lift incisions be?

This will depend on the specific type of facelift that you will have. The majority will involve an incision around the sideburn area, extending along the inside of the ear and around the earlobe towards posterior. If extensive neck work is done there will be an incision under the chin at the crease. For forehead/eyebrow adjustments there will be incisions at the hairline or in the scalp.


5. What if I have a history of bad scars?

If a person has a history of severe bad scarring or "keloid" type of scars they should consider not having any cosmetic elective surgery at all. The surgeon needs to evaluate your other scars to see if this applies. In general the incisions in the face tend to heal better than other places, so a moderately noticeable scar somewhere else in your body does not necessarily mean that you will have a bad scar on your face.


6. What about my daily medications before facelift surgery?

This will be discussed with you by the surgeon and by the person in charge of your anesthesia and you will be instructed on what to take.


7. I take vitamins and supplements. Do I need to stop them before facelift surgery?

We give the patients a printed list of certain vitamins and supplements that affect healing and coagulation. In general you should stop taking the ones that cause problems approximately 10 days ahead of your surgery.