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BEFORE YOUR SURGERY
In the week before, you should not take any medications containing aspirin (acetyl salicylic acid), since these products affect the bloods clotting mechanism and therefore may lead to excessive bleeding during and after surgery hence resulting in increased bruising. Taking high doses of vitamin E preparations, eating large amounts of garlic and consuming alcohol can also produce the same result and should be avoided. If pain medication is necessary, we recommend you take ibuprofen/paracetamol.
It is in your own best interests to quit smoking, at least two weeks before and until 2 weeks after surgery. It is well known that smoking causes narrowing of the blood vessels, which leads to a decreased blood supply to the skin, thus slowing and interfering with the healing process.
Be sure to inform your surgeon of any medications you take, as well as possible allergies including (drug, latex, plasters and so on). Your surgeon will decide whether preliminary examinations are necessary, such as blood tests, an electrocardiogram, or x-rays of the lungs. If this is the case, these tests should be performed several weeks before the surgery.
It is best not to wear any makeup when you come in for your operation, and to tie your hair back if possible.
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THE PROCEDURE
During the procedure, the area to be 'lifted' will be injected with a local anaesthetic to numb the area. Once the area is sufficiently anaesthetised, a very small incision (about 0.5cm) is made behind the ear (for the mid and lower face) and a special needle will be inserted under the skin and muscle, this allows a specifically designed thread to be drawn under the skin and around the muscle. Once the thread is in place, the surgeon will pull the thread tight, lifting the muscle, which in turn lifts the skin. This thread will remain in the body, either permanently or lasting about 6 yrs before it is broken down and dissolved completely, depending upon the thread used. Immediately after the procedure you may be left with slight 'folds' on either side of the face, these folds will release and disappear completely within one to two weeks, leaving the skin lifted and the face more youthfully looking.
Please bear in mind that the results from this procedure will vary from person to person, depending upon the area to be treated and the condition of each individuals skin. It is important to have realistic expectations, and to know that, although cosmetic surgery can improve your looks, helping you to look more youthful, we cannot perform miracles. Both the doctor and the patient should have realistic ideas of the final results, taking into account the limitations of the treatment and the nature of each individual case.
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AFTER THE PROCEDURE
As this technique uses only a small needle to pass the thread through the tissue, there will be limited bruising. In fact, most people do not experience any bruising at all. You may also notice a small amount of swelling, mostly due to the local anaesthetic that was injected. Applying ice to the area intermittently for the first 12 hrs will ease both the swelling and bruising.
After your procedure, you will remain in the clinic for about 30mins, then you may go about your daily business as normal. You will be given some pain medication, if necessary, and a course of antibiotics to take. You may or may not need to return after one week, for the nurse to check the incision sites and remove any sutures, otherwise you will have a 6 week review with the surgeon to check the results and make sure you are pleased with you new look.
All surgery carries some uncertainties and risks.
Although the thread lift is a relatively simple procedure, it is important to note that, like with all cosmetic procedures, it is not without some risks and does have its limitations. After the procedure, it is possible to develop an infection, bleeding may occur under the skin, causing increased bruising, symmetry of the face may affected and it is possible for the threads to break or relapse. If any of these complications do occur, they are easily corrected/treated and it is possible to remove the threads, if necessary.
If you have any further questions or queries about this procedure, please feel free to call and speak to either Dr Roberto Viel, Dr Maurizio Viel or any of our nurses. Please note that it is necessary to attend a consultation prior to your operation, this is also the case with existing patients and it may also be necessary to have repeat blood test.
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