A study published by the Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found high satisfaction rates among facelift patients not only within the first year after facelift surgery, but also 10-15 years later.

According to the study authors Drs. Michael Fried, Richard Shaw, Matthew Trovato and John Owsley, nearly 98 percent of patients reported their face lift results as “very good or beyond expectations” in the one-year period following their face lift surgery. Nearly 13 years later, more than 68 percent of face lift patients said their results continued to be “very good or beyond expectations” and felt that they looked 10 years younger.

Only 31 percent of patients who participated in the study indicated that they were disappointed by some aspect of their long-term face lift outcome, which suggests a majority of facelift patients experience a high degree of satisfaction with facelift results in the long term.

The study is reportedly the first to measure long-term facelift patient satisfaction rates and included 89 participants. Each patient surveyed had a superficial musculoaponeurotic system–platysma facelift, or SMAS facelift, performed by study senior author Dr. John Owsley between January 1, 1994 and January 1, 1999.

Variations of the SMAS facelift technique exist, but all SMAS facelift techniques involve repositioning and tightening the SMAS, which is a sheet of muscle and connective tissue on the cheek that contributes to facial expression. The results of a SMAS facelift are typically longer lasting than those of a subcutaneous, or skin-only, facelift, and improvement of sagging skin and jowls is an expected outcome.  An extended SMAS facelift offers the same benefits as a SMAS facelift, plus correction of nasolabial folds.

When considering face lift surgery, it’s important not to get caught up in the brand names, marketing terminology and surgical techniques. For best results, it is essential to seek a highly experienced Seattle face lift surgeon who can customize your face lift procedure to meet your unique goals.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 12:51 pm by editor2 and is filed under Facial Rejuvenation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.