Our 40 Years’ Experience on Face and Neck Lift Procedures with High-SMAS Flap Techniques: How to Manage Secondary and Tertiary Surgeries

Facial aging drives a growing demand for esthetic procedures, with nonsurgical options often falling short in longevity compared to surgery. Despite primary face and neck lift techniques receiving substantial attention, revision procedures have been relatively overlooked in terms of their unique surgical management, complication incidence, and preventive strategies.

The authors present a 40-year experience with revision face and neck lifts, comprising 283 cases. The primary focus was on the high-SMAS flap technique in revision surgeries, with data collected on complications compared to primary procedures and existing literature. Secondary analysis investigated the time-lapse between primary and revision surgeries in the author's series (secondary and tertiary rhytidectomy) compared to the literature findings.

Out of 283 cases, 232 were secondary and 51 were tertiary procedures. Overall complication rates in secondary cases mirrored those of primary procedures, with no statistically significant difference observed (p > 0.05). The mean interval between procedures was 9.0 years (range: 3.4–28.8 years), with a significant statistical difference (p < 0.05) observed between the first and second procedures (10.7 years, range: 3.8–18.8 years) and the second and third procedures (7.8 years, range: 3.5–10.8 years).

Results indicate that high-SMAS flaps yield consistent and satisfying outcomes, even in secondary and tertiary cases. Complication rates are comparable to primary surgeries, underscoring the importance of meticulous attention to detail in managing the complexities associated with previous surgeries and the aging process.

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