The risks
associated with a neck lift and submental liposuction may include:
Reactions to
anesthesia are the most common surgical
complication. They can be serious and in extreme
cases even life-threatening.
Read more about anesthesia
During any surgical procedure where the skin is
broken, infection can be a risk.
Symptoms of
an infection are:
Most surgeons put their patients on oral
antibiotics after the neck lift procedure to prevent this
complication from occurring.
Read more about infections
Each time
surgery is performed on any part of the body the risk of bleeding is
there. Hypertension (high blood pressure) that is not under
good medical control may cause bleeding during or after cosmetic
surgery. Bleeding risks can start from the day of surgery to several
days after the procedure. It is important during the recovery
period that the patient does not get their blood pressure elevated
or their heart rate increased - as this can add to the risk of
possible bleeding. If bleeding does occur and it is not
stopped sometimes a wound will have to be surgically opened - and
the blood vessels contributing to the bleeding will have to be
cauterized.
A DVT
- Deep Vein Thrombrosis is a clot within a blood vessel and is
commonly responsible for strokes, heart attacks or pulmonary
embolism. If this complication occurs, this may require
emergency surgery or therapy with months of taking a blood
thinning medication. There are some superficial veins in
the neck which may be tied off or cauterized to minimize
bleeding, which couple possibly contribute to some insignificant
blood clots.
Because the skin is separated from the fat and muscles, this
leaves a "pocket" where blood can potentially collect and form a
blood clot.
Due
to the anatomy in the neck area, there is a potential risk of
damaging the nerve that controls movement of the mouth region. Your surgeon has the knowledge of where this nerve runs to
minimizes the chances of this complication occurring. Some
patients may experience some temporary numbness around the ear
due to swelling near the sensory nerve in this area. Permanent numbness is very rare following neck lift surgery.
The blood has collected under the skin
and may have to be removed. Hematoma is the most common complication
after rhytidectomy. Hematoma risks are higher in men than in
women. Other factors that are associated with an increased risk of
hematoma include anterior platysmaplasty (neck lift), high systolic
blood pressure, aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications were not
stopped before surgery, and smoking.
Read more about Hematomas
Medication to Avoid Before Surgery
A seroma is fluid
accumulations between the skin and the underlying tissues. If this
complication arises, it may require additional procedures for proper drainage of
fluid.
Read more about Seromas
The human
face and neck are normally not symmetrical to
being with. There can be distinct
differences between one side of the face
or neck area
versus the other. During your
consultation with your surgeon, he or
she will tell you what the chances are
for this happening with a rhytidectomy
(face lift) and a neck lift.
A tightly pulled
neck lift can
happen. This
appears unnatural
and results from
removing too much
skin. This
also can develop
from a patient
having multiple neck
lifts. Once
the skin has been
removed, it cannot
be easily replaced. This complication
can be difficult to
correct.
However, tension in
the neck area as
well as around the
ear is normal. This feeling comes
from the surgeon
separating the skin
from the underlying
tissue. This
feeling normally
disappears during
the first four to
six weeks following
the neck lift
procedure.
Hair loss in the
incision lines can occur with having a neck lift procedure. This is generally
temporary but can be permanent.
Changes can occur in the positioning of the
earlobe and tragus (cartilage in front of the ear opening) after a neck lift procedure.
An attached earlobe
or "pixie ear" occurs when too much skin has been removed nearby. The
remaining, stretched skin pulls the earlobe area down and into the surrounding
skin. It can be corrected through minor surgery.
The chances are low for "Pixie Ear" occur with a full neck lift,
but again it's technique dependent. If the surgeon trims too
much skin from below the earlobes pixie ear can also happen.
Pain
associated with a neck lift is generally for the most part
moderate to minimal, however some patients have a harder time than
others simply because everyone's own pain threshold is so different. Your surgeon will be prescribing narcotic pain medication for
several days after surgery, to make sure you are comfortable during
the initial recovery.
Bruising and swelling
normally occurs following a neck lift procedure. The skin near
the incision site can appear either light or darker than the surrounding tissue. In rare circumstances, swelling and skin discoloration or bruising can be
permanent or lasts for long periods of time following the face lift procedure. Temporary swelling around the eyes is also not uncommon shortly after the
neck-lift operation
Early relapse is the
premature return of
sagging skin and
jowls, well before
the give 7 to 10
year time that a
neck lift is
expected to last. Relapse may occur
within six months. The cause of relapse
is not really clear,
but it seems to be
more common in women
with fair
complexions and sun
damaged skin. Early relapse occurs
in 1 percent and can
be treated by
another neck lift,
which is normally
for the most part -
longer lasting.
Your surgeon will
provide medications before surgery to prevent nausea and vomiting, and surgeons
monitor patients before, during and after surgery as precautionary measures for
serious complications. Speak to your surgeon about changing medications if you
are experiencing any allergic reaction or side effect. If you have a
reaction to any medication that has been given to you, contact your plastic
surgeon immediately.
As with
all surgeries that require general or twilight anesthesia, nausea
and vomiting can sometimes happen. Your surgeon will prescribe
a anti-enemic (anti-nausea) medication to help you alleviate this
symptom if it should occur. Also, the medication you are
prescribed to take after the procedure, the antibiotics and also the
pain medication can also contribute to nausea. Make sure you
always take your medication on a full stomach.
After a
face lift and while healing, the incision lines can be red for a time period. This eventually does lessen as you continue to heal during recovery.
Read our Wound Color Chart
Irregularities or dimpling can happen if there is too much
tension pulled on the skin. Puckering can occur around the
incision lines as well.
For patients that are
known to keloid or have hypertrophic scarring, it is best to ask your plastic
surgeon what type of neck lift is going to be right for you. Most
surgeons believe that the best way to prevent keloids is meticulous, expert
technique. Not too much tension on the closure with clever suturing. Patients who are darker skin have more melatonin in
their tissue, and tend to get hypertrophic or keloid scarring much easier.
Read our section on hypertrophic and keloid scarring
It is
advisable to cut down any exposure to cigarette smoke, either
due to your own usage or being in the vicinity of second hand
smoke. This will allow for more satisfactory healing to occur.
Read more about Smoking and Cosmetic
Surgery
