Pitfalls of Facelift Surgery – what you need to know

We read about it in the gossip magazines and chuckle with our friends. But the reality is there are real pitfalls with facial rejuvenation procedures. The ‘wind tunnel’ look, the ‘deer in the headlights’ and the ‘permanently surprised’ look are simply the results of a facelift gone wrong. A good facelift makes you look younger, rather than “different” or “operated on”. A great facelift looks natural, as if you’ve done nothing except taken a holiday.

Whether Dr Drielsma is performing a facelift, browlift, eyelift, neck lift or combination of facial rejuvenation procedures, he is always striving to achieve a natural result. Almost routinely Dr Drielsma uses fat transfer or grafting to the face to further enhance natural results. “I pride my self on doing facelift surgery in a way that no one can tell, and usually the feedback my patients get from their friends afterwards is that they are complimented on looking good.” say Dr Drielsma.

Facelift Surgery: Its time to talk about risks…

Dr Drielsma tells us that risks fall into three main categories: unexpected bleeding, wound healing problems and nerve damage.

“A small percentage of patients will have some collection of blood after surgery,” he explains. “This usually occurs within the first 24 hours. And while it’s causes some immediate discomfort it usually doesn’t pose any serious problems.”

“Nerve damage is rare. For many patients it returns to normal within a few weeks or months,” says Dr Drielsma.

“Healing difficulties occur more frequently in people who smoke. So I recommend you stop smoking as early as possible prior to surgery. We minimise healing difficulties with careful pre and post operative care.”

“With surgery of any kind it’s impossible to predict which patients are going to have complications. But we can carefully manage risks.”

Any surgery has risks but what about the pitfalls…such as the dreaded unnatural results?

Dr Drielsma tells us that many of the unwanted side affects of facelift surgery can easily be avoided.

“Many inexperienced doctors will offer minimally invasive ‘facelifts’ in their rooms often under a local anaesthetic. That’s fine, as these procedures match their skill level but unfortunately these procedures address only superficial layers of the face, resulting in the ‘tight’ look,” he explains.

“This includes, thread lifts which are usually ineffective and cause unsightly distortion of the face. I frequently have to remove threads during facelift surgery for patients who have been unhappy with the results of thread lift procedures.”

” As an experienced plastic surgeon, I offer my patients a wide variety of surgical approaches designed to suit individual needs. Minimally invasive procedures limit many doctors. But my broad scope of training and experience allows me to offer the right surgical approach to achieve the best aesthetic results.”

Facelifts remain popular for good reason. The results can be transforming and last far longer — years rather than months — than those achieved with minimally invasive procedures. Facelifts are also popular with both men and women.

Advances in the medical field mean that we are all living longer than ever before. Most of us are paying more attention to maintaining a fresh appearance and facial rejuvenation surgery with Dr Drielsma can play a vital role in helping you look as good as you feel. Contact Us today for more information or to book a consultation!