Rhytidoplasty - Facial Rejuvenation

Surgery cannot transform a 40-year-old face into a 20-year-old one. Although this surgery aims to rejuvenate the skin, it is impossible to establish the period and degree of rejuvenation.

Facial plastic surgery aims to improve the appearance of sagging, wrinkles, deep furrows, etc., thus rejuvenating the face. The scars will be permanent and will change over time. Cosmetic resources such as make-up and suitable hairstyles disguise the inconvenience created by recent scars. Each patient behaves differently from another in terms of the evolution of the scars, and in some cases they may even become imperceptible.

Certain patients may be prone to unsightly scarring (hypertrophic and keloid scars). This fact should be discussed during the initial consultation, as well as your family characteristics. Fair-skinned people tend to develop this type of scarring less often.

Various clinical and surgical resources allow us to improve these unsightly scars at the right time. However, hypertrophic or keloid scars should not be confused with the natural evolution of the mediate healing period. Any doubts about your healing progress should be clarified during your post-operative visits, when you can assess the stage you are at.

Various clinical and surgical resources allow us to improve these unsightly scars at the right time. However, the “mediate period” of normal healing (from the 30th day to the 12th month) should not be confused with a healing complication. Any doubts about your progress should be clarified with your doctor.

Surgery on the face, neck and eyelids visually slows down the aging process in these areas. They slow down, but do not stop the “evolutionary process of the organism”. And in some cases, supplements are needed after a short period of time.

Every medical act includes a variable risk and plastic surgery, as part of medicine, is no exception. You can minimize the risk by preparing each patient properly, but you can’t eliminate it completely.

The best way to assess the result obtained is by comparing the pre- and post-operative photographs, taken in similar photographic patterns during these two periods. Patients’ photographs form an integral part of their medical records.

Either general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation may be used, at the discretion of the surgeon and anesthesiologist. In most cases we use local anesthesia with sedation by the anesthesiologist.

In the case of complete surgery, involving the face, eyelids and neck, the operation can take 4 hours or more, depending on the case. However, surgical time should not be confused with the length of time the patient stays in the operating room, as this also includes the period of anesthetic preparation and post-operative recovery.

Depending on the type of anesthesia, between 12 and 24 hours, always taking into account the patient’s comfort and safety. Rarely for more than 24 hours of hospitalization

Yes. Bandages are generally used. A first dressing remains in place for the first 24 hours or so. After that, you can opt for a new dressing over the entire operated area or over the residual scars.

Not necessarily. It may be recommended to apply gauze or cotton pads soaked in saline solution or cold water to the eyes, which can be changed periodically, several times a day.

Occasionally pain may occur, which can be controlled with common painkillers.

The eyelid stitches can be removed from the fourth or seventh day. The rest (face, neck, scalp), between seven and twelve days.

Your surgeon will be able to give you more details about this, but if all goes well, around the first week.

Between the second and seventh post-operative day, hair can be washed and combed (with caution). To dry them, you can use a hand dryer with discreetly heated air. Dyes usually after the 4th week.

When the hair is cut, it only covers the areas of the incisions, so in the immediate post-operative period, this inconvenience can be disguised with a suitable hairstyle.

Until the desired result is achieved, several evolutionary phases are characteristic of this type of surgery. This is why edema (swelling), “spots” of blood infiltrate, hypersensitivity in some areas and numbness in others are common to all patients, but obviously some patients will show these phenomena to a greater or lesser extent than others. Your body will take care of these little inconveniences. Any concerns you may have should be passed on to your surgeon, who will provide you with the necessary clarification to put your mind at ease. A short period of “emotional depression” may occur in the first few days, due to the transitory aspect, usually stemming from “anxiety about achieving the final result as soon as possible”. Be patient. Remember that no results from facial rejuvenation surgery can be evaluated until at least 3 to 6 months after the operation.