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Facial Plast Surg
DOI: 10.1055/a-2190-8558
Original Article

Revision Rhytidectomy: Pearls and Pitfalls

Kasra Ziai
1   Facial Plastic Surgery, The Center for Advanced Facial Plastic Surgery, Beverly Hills, California
2   Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
,
Babak Azizzadeh
1   Facial Plastic Surgery, The Center for Advanced Facial Plastic Surgery, Beverly Hills, California
2   Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
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Abstract

While rhytidectomy can yield remarkable results, some patients may subsequently require revision rhytidectomy due to either unsatisfactory outcomes from primary surgery or the natural aging process many years later. Like most other secondary plastic surgical procedures, revision rhytidectomy is a complex undertaking and fraught with potential pitfalls. This can be attributable to natural or postsurgical alterations that can occur with the facial skin, superficial musculoaponeurotic system/platysma muscle, and/or facial nerve landmarks. Additionally, complications such as cobra neck deformity, pixie ear deformity, and synkinesis can add an extra level of complexity to revisional surgery. Furthermore, as more surgeons are performing deep-plane facelifts and more aggressive neck procedures, the risks are further amplified in revisional surgery. In this article, we review the challenges that a facelift surgeon may face when performing revision rhytidectomy and the technical considerations to overcome these obstacles.

Keywords

facelift - rhytidectomy - necklift - revision - pixie ear


Publication History

Accepted Manuscript online:
12 October 2023

Article published online:
28 November 2023

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