Facelift

Denver and Cherry Creek, Colorado

A facelift can improve the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening muscles and redraping the skin of your face and neck. It cannot stop the aging process, but it can set back the clock. A facelift can be done alone or with other procedures such as a forehead lift, eyelid surgery or nose reshaping. A facelift can make you look younger and fresher, and it may enhance your self confidence.

Consultation

The consultation is a vital part in making your decision on whether you should a facelift. Plan on spending approximately an hour meeting with Plastic Surgeon Dr. Broadway and his staff. During the consultation, you will:

• Be asked to fill out a detailed medical history form. This will give Dr. Broadway an opportunity to assess if you are a good candidate for surgery. He will also discuss your past surgical experience and current medical status.
• Dr. Broadway will meet with you and discuss the surgery itself and the risks involved. He will examine you and review the different surgery options available to you. This is a good opportunity to ask any questions or concerns you may have about the surgery.
• After the examination, the Patient Coordinator will show you before & after pictures and will go over a final quote of your surgery fees and explain what is needed to schedule your surgery. You can schedule your surgery then or can call us after you have had time to consider your options. We will do everything we can to make you feel comfortable in your decision and share with you any other information you require.

Facelift Surgery

In your initial consultation, Dr. Broadway will evaluate your health and explain which surgical techniques are most appropriate for you. Be sure to discuss your expectations frankly with Dr. Broadway and he will describe your alternatives and the risks and limitations of each. Dr. Broadway's staff will give you instructions to prepare for facelift surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications. While making preparations, be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home after your surgery and to help you out for a few days, if needed.

The facelift surgery will be performed at one of our three surgery centers. The surgery usually takes several hours – longer if you are having other procedures done at the same time. Incisions begin at the hairlines at the temples and they follow the natural line in front of the ear, curve behind the earlobe into the crease behind the ear and into the lower scalp. When you wake up from anesthesia, your head will be loosely wrapped in bandages to minimize bruising and swelling. After surgery, there shouldn’t be significant discomfort. You will be asked to keep your head elevated and still for several days after surgery. This will help with the swelling.

Bandages are usually removed several days after surgery. After several weeks, you will notice your bruising and swelling are gone and you will start to look normal again. Most patients return to work 10 days to two weeks after surgery.

Risks

Complications are infrequent and are usually minor. They can include hematoma, injury to the nerves that control facial muscles, usually temporary, infection, and reaction to the anesthesia. Patients must give up smoking one month prior to surgery. You can reduce your risks by following Dr. Broadway’s advice both before and after the surgery.

Why must patients give up smoking prior to a facelift?

Patients undergoing a facelift must give up smoking one month prior to surgery. Smoking inhibits blood flow to the skin and can seriously interfere with the healing process and may increase risk of infection.

If you are considering a facelift or other cosmetic surgery procedure, please contact Dr. David Broadway to discuss your questions and concerns during your inital consultation.