The Evidence for Adjunctive Facelift Procedures

Abstract

Facelift surgery is a popular treatment but exhibits high variation among practitioners in terms of both core technique and adjunctive measures. This review identified significant evidence addressing the role of pre-infiltration, drains, fat grafting, fibrin tissue adhesives, hilotherapy, and other miscellaneous adjuncts. Based on the authors' assessment of the current literature, there is reasonable supportive evidence for pre-infiltration, fat grafting and laser skin resurfacing, which appear to be safe and effective in appropriately selected patients. Drain use is not mandatory but may confer some benefit. Conversely the evidence for the use of fibrin tissue adhesives and hilotherapy is not compelling.

Keywords

adjuncts - evidence - facelift - fat graft - rhytidectomy

• References

• 1 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2015 Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank Statistics. http://www.surgery.org/sites/default/files/ASAPS-Stats2015.pdf . Accessed Nov 2, 2018
• 2 Brody GS. The tumescent technique for facelift. Plast Reconstr Surg 1994; 94 (02) 407-407
• 3 Jones BMB, Grover R. Avoiding hematoma in cervicofacial rhytidectomy: a personal 8-year quest. Reviewing 910 patients. Plast Reconstr Surg 2004; 113 (01) 381-387 , discussion 388–390
• 4 Schoen SA, Taylor CO, Owsley TG. Tumescent technique in cervicofacial rhytidectomy. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1994; 52 (04) 344-347
• 5 Hoefflin SMS. The extended supraplatysmal plane (ESP) facelift. Plast Reconstr Surg 1998; 101 (02) 494-503
• 6 Knize DM. Limited incision submental lipectomy and platysmaplasty. Plast Reconstr Surg 2004; 113 (04) 1275-1278
• 7 Huang TT, Blackwell SJ, Lewis SR. Routine use of a suction drain in facial rhytidoplasty. Ann Plast Surg 1987; 18 (01) 30-33
• 8 Perkins SWS, Williams JDJ, Macdonald K, Robinson EBE. Prevention of seromas and hematomas after face-lift surgery with the use of postoperative vacuum drains. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1997; 123 (07) 743-745
• 9 Marchac D, Greensmith AL. Early postoperative efficacy of fibrin glue in facelifts: a prospective randomized trial. Plast Reconstr Surg 2005; 115 (03) 911-916 , discussion 917–918
• 10 Jones BM, Grover R, Hamilton S. The efficacy of surgical drainage in cervicofacial rhytidectomy: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Plast Reconstr Surg 2007; 120 (01) 263-270
• 11 Sinno S, Mehta K, Reavey PL, Simmons C, Stuzin JM. Current trends in facial rejuvenation: an assessment of ASPS members' use of fat grafting during face lifting. Plast Reconstr Surg 2015; 136 (01) 20e-30e
• 12 Jacono AA, Malone MH, Talei B. Three-dimensional analysis of long-term midface volume change after vertical vector deep-plane rhytidectomy. Aesthet Surg J 2015; 35 (05) 491-503
• 13 Swanson E. Does a deep-plane facelift restore malar volume without simultaneous fat injection?. Aesthet Surg J 2016; 36 (01) NP30 –NP31
• 14 Swanson E. Malar augmentation assessed by magnetic resonance imaging in patients after facelift and fat injection. Plast Reconstr Surg 2011; 127 (05) 2057-2065
• 15 Meier JD, Glasgold RA, Glasgold MJ. Autologous fat grafting: long-term evidence of its efficacy in midfacial rejuvenation. Arch Facial Plast Surg 2009; 11 (01) 24-28
• 16 Sasaki GH. The safety and efficacy of cell-assisted fat grafting to traditional fat grafting in the anterior mid-face: an indirect assessment by 3D imaging. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2015; 39 (06) 833-846
• 17 Lam SM. Fat grafting: an alternative or adjunct to facelift surgery?. Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am 2013; 21 (02) 253-264
• 18 Marten TJ, Elyassnia D. Fat grafting in facial rejuvenation. Clin Plast Surg 2015; 42 (02) 219-252
• 19 Marchac D, Pugash E, Gault D. The use of sprayed fibrin glue for facelifts. Eur J Plast Surg 1987; 10: 139-143
• 20 Oliver DW, Hamilton SA, Figle AA, Wood SH, Lamberty BG. A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial of the use of fibrin sealant for facelifts. Plast Reconstr Surg 2001; 108 (07) 2101-2105 , discussion 2106–2107
• 21 Man D, Plosker H, Winland-Brown JE. The use of autologous platelet-rich plasma (platelet gel) and autologous platelet-poor plasma (fibrin glue) in cosmetic surgery. Plast Reconstr Surg 2001; 107 (01) 229-237 , discussion 238–239
• 22 Powell DM, Chang E, Farrior EH. Recovery from deep-plane rhytidectomy following unilateral wound treatment with autologous platelet gel: a pilot study. Arch Facial Plast Surg 2001; 3 (04) 245-250
• 23 Fezza JP, Cartwright M, Mack W, Flaharty P. The use of aerosolized fibrin glue in face-lift surgery. Plast Reconstr Surg 2002; 110 (02) 658-664 , discussion 665–666
• 24 Berry MG, Stanek JJ. Fibrin tissue adhesive for face- and necklift. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2015; 68 (10) 1325-1331
• 25 Jones BMB, Grover R. Reducing complications in cervicofacial rhytidectomy by tumescent infiltration: a comparative trial evaluating 678 consecutive facelifts. Plast Reconstr Surg 2004; 113 (01) 398-403
• 26 Grover R, Jones BMB, Waterhouse N. The prevention of haematoma following rhytidectomy: a review of 1078 consecutive facelifts. Br J Plast Surg 2001; 54 (06) 481-486
• 27 Kamer FM, Nguyen DB. Experience with fibrin glue in rhytidectomy. Plast Reconstr Surg 2007; 120 (04) 1045-1051 , discussion 1052
• 28 Zoumalan R, Rizk SS. Hematoma rates in drainless deep-plane face-lift surgery with and without the use of fibrin glue. Arch Facial Plast Surg 2008; 10 (02) 103-107
• 29 Lee S, Pham AM, Pryor SG, Tollefson T, Sykes JM. Efficacy of Crosseal fibrin sealant (human) in rhytidectomy. Arch Facial Plast Surg 2009; 11 (01) 29-33
• 30 Por YC, Shi L, Samuel M, Song C, Yeow VK-L. Use of tissue sealants in face-lifts: a metaanalysis. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2009; 33 (03) 336-339
• 31 Mustoe T, Silvati-Fidell L, Desmond J. Reduced hematoma/seroma occurrence with use of fibrin sealant during facial rhytidectomy: results of an integrated analysis of Phase 2 and Phase 3 study data. Plast Reconstr Surg 2011; 128 (4S): 7
• 32 Park GC, Wiseman JB, Hayes DK. The evaluation of rhytidectomy flap healing after CO2 laser resurfacing in a pig model. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2001; 125 (06) 590-592
• 33 Brackup AB. Combined cervicofacial rhytidectomy and laser skin resurfacing. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg 2002; 18 (01) 24-39
• 34 Koch BB, Perkins SW. Simultaneous rhytidectomy and full-face carbon dioxide laser resurfacing: a case series and meta-analysis. Arch Facial Plast Surg 2002; 4 (04) 227-233
• 35 Moreira AC, Moreira M, Motta RL. , et al. The combination of rhytidoplasty and fractional CO2 laser therapy in the treatment of facial aging. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2014; 38 (05) 839-848
• 36 Wright EJ, Struck SK. Facelift combined with simultaneous fractional laser resurfacing: outcomes and complications. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2015; 68 (10) 1332-1337
• 37 Scheuer III JF, Costa CR, Dauwe PB, Ramanadham SR, Rohrich RJ. Laser resurfacing at the time of rhytidectomy. Plast Reconstr Surg 2015; 136 (01) 27-38
• 38 Shin YS, Lim NY, Yun S-C, Park KO. A randomised controlled trial of the effects of cryotherapy on pain, eyelid oedema and facial ecchymosis after craniotomy. J Clin Nurs 2009; 18 (21) 3029-3036
• 39 Rana M, Gellrich NC, von See C. , et al. 3D evaluation of postoperative swelling in treatment of bilateral mandibular fractures using 2 different cooling therapy methods: a randomized observer blind prospective study. J Craniomaxillofac Surg 2013; 41 (01) e17-e23
• 40 Rana M, Gellrich NC, Ghassemi A, Gerressen M, Riediger D, Modabber A. Three-dimensional evaluation of postoperative swelling after third molar surgery using 2 different cooling therapy methods: a randomized observer-blind prospective study. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2011; 69 (08) 2092-2098
• 41 Greenstein G. Therapeutic efficacy of cold therapy after intraoral surgical procedures: a literature review. J Periodontol 2007; 78 (05) 790-800
• 42 Jones BMB, Grover R, Southwell-Keely JPJ. Post-operative hilotherapy in SMAS-based facelift surgery: a prospective, randomised, controlled trial. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2011; 64 (09) 1132-1137
• 43 Moreira AC, Moreira M, Gurgel SJ. , et al. Atenolol prevents the formation of expansive hematoma after rhytidoplasty. Rev Col Bras Cir 2014; 41 (05) 305-310
• 44 Auersvald A, Auersvald LA. Hemostatic net in rhytidoplasty: an efficient and safe method for preventing hematoma in 405 consecutive patients. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2014; 38 (01) 1-9
• 45 Costa CR, Ramanadham SR, O'Reilly E, Coleman JE, Rohrich RJ. The role of the superwet technique in facelift: an analysis of 1089 patients over 23 years. Plast Reconstr Surg 2015; 135 (06) 1566-1572
• 46 Adams Jr WP, Toriumi DM, Van Natta BW. Clinical use of GalaFLEX in facial and breast cosmetic plastic surgery. Aesthet Surg J 2016; 36 (suppl 2): S23 –S32
• 47 Pallua N, Wolter T. The lipo-facelift: merging the face-lift and liposculpture—eight years experience and a preliminary observational study. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2013; 37 (06) 1107-1113
• 48 Park TH, Whang KW. Facial rejuvenation using a combination of lateral SMASectomy and thread-lifts. J Plast Surg Hand Surg 2015; 49 (01) 8-12