Facelift for facial rejuvenation

It is important to have a detailed consultation before the operation. I will fulfil your wishes for a firm facial contour and wrinkle-free skin as long as it is guaranteed that the result looks natural. Achieving a maximum lifting of the skin without taking into account whether the result looks natural is out of the question.

Yes, initially the scars will be particularly visible in front of the ear and in the temple area. Especially in the temple area, it is necessary to operate into the existing hairline; however, a special technique is used to ensure that the hair moves through the resulting scar and hides it if it is long enough. The scar on the front of the ear will fade shortly after the suture is removed. I always make sure that the edges of the wound connect without tension, so that no tensile forces on the scar negatively influence the result.

A complete facelift with treatment of all 4 areas is a complex operation and takes 5 hours in extreme cases. I would like to combine additional smaller operations such as eyelid corrections with this procedure, but I would rather advise against having larger operations performed simultaneously.

No, I’m doing a facelift in a private surgery above the ordination. Here you have the opportunity to recover in your own room after the procedure. Many patients also use the possibility to stay overnight, so that you have a 24h monitoring. One of our surgical nurses will stay in a room close to you and provide round-the-clock care.

Yes, it is necessary to apply a head bandage and protect the surgical wounds. In addition, I use drainages to ensure that any bleeding is detected early. The drainages are pulled out on the first day after the operation, so that you can go home without worries after the first change of bandages.

In a facelift operation, the skin and subcutaneous fat tissue is lifted over a large area, creating a “relatively” large wound area. Bleeding can occur especially within the first 24 hours after the operation. For this reason, I use drainages and recommend 24h monitoring on site by our nursing staff. Bleeding is extremely rare, but if it does occur it should be possible to intervene quickly. Another possible complication is the so-called “pixie-ears” where the earlobe moves “down” due to excessive tension of the skin suture and creates an elf-like appearance. To avoid this, I use a special suturing technique to achieve a tension-free skin closure that gives enough hold even after months to prevent the earlobe from sinking down.

Under the skin and the subcutaneous fat tissue is the mimic facial musculature and the nerve fibres of the facial nerve that supply it. These nerve fibres are numerous and often difficult to see with the naked eye. There are often anatomical standard variations and therefore nerve damage can occur during preparation. By using magnifying glasses during careful preparation, the risk is significantly minimized. Pressure-related damage to the nerves is self-limiting and not permanent. This can manifest itself in temporary movement restrictions of the mimic facial musculature.

This cannot be said in general terms, as each patient is unique in his or her anatomy. In a personal consultation, I can assess the aging process of your face with you and offer you non-surgical rejuvenating alternatives if a facelift is not the right choice for you.

Usually my patients stay 24 hours for monitoring before they go home. Your body will need a few days to recover from this procedure and especially from anesthesia. It is normal that you feel a little weak and powerless at first. Immediately after the operation you will be given a check-up appointment for wound assessment. Here I will give you more tips on what you should pay attention to, such as sleeping with a raised upper body or not doing any activities where you are upside down.

Wound healing takes about 10-14 days. During this time you wear a bandage to protect the wounds until the suture material is removed. Afterwards you will be bandage-free but I recommend that you avoid sports and strenuous activities in which you stand upside down. Especially in the first 4-5 weeks after the operation you should pay attention to this. Non-physical work is there is unrestrictedly feasible in this time.

If desired, a facelift can be performed under general anesthetic. However, experience shows that this is not necessary. Although this operation can take up to 5 hours, it can be performed under sedation (twilight sleep) without any problems. A twilight sleep is less stressful than a general anaesthetic.

The costs for a facelift start at 6000€. However, they are individual, as the operative effort and the operating time increase significantly depending on the area.