Facial rejuvenation surgery: a retrospective study of 8788 cases.

BACKGROUND: Surgical rejuvenation of the aging face is common in aesthetic surgery, and many surgical techniques have been described for accomplishing it. The keys to consistent results are the surgeon's judgment and ability to individualize a treatment plan according to the patient's needs. To obtain natural-appearing results, the surgeon must consider the morphological characteristics of the aging face.

OBJECTIVES: The authors describe their approach for "round" facelift technique and strategies for avoiding complications.

METHODS: This retrospective study included 8788 consecutive patients who underwent facelift procedures in a single clinic between 1958 and 2010. All cases involved the round-lifting technique.

RESULTS: Patients in this series ranged in age from 28 to 84 years. The percentage of male patients increased in later years (6.3% in 1970-1974 vs 18.6% in 1986-2010), and there was a trend toward increasing age after 1979 (17.7% of patients aged 60 years or older vs 8.3% before 1980). Submental liposuction was the most common facelift procedure performed (92.2% of patients, 1990-2010). Up to 97% of the cases treated after 1999 underwent repositioning of the malar fat pad. The overall complication rate was 4.5%, with the most frequent complications being hematoma (3%) and cutaneous slough or necrosis (1%).

CONCLUSIONS: Repositioning the vector connecting the tragus with the Darwin tubercle provides more natural correction of aging tissues than do other techniques. The authors' intent was to keep the structures in their natural location, as they had been prior to aging. Superficial musculo-aponeurotic system (SMAS) plication, malar fat pad repositioning, and correct traction of facial tissues showed satisfactory results. This technique is less aggressive than undermining of the SMAS and deep-plane techniques.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.