Rhytidectomy for treatment of the aging face.

Rhytidectomy or face-lift is an operation designed to remove facial wrinkles. Most often, it is performed in conjunction with other facial procedures, such as brow-lifts, blepharoplasty, and submental liposuction, for complete rejuvenation of the aging face. The recent surge of interest in cosmetic surgery has prompted more patients to inquire about and undergo a face-lift operation. Careful preoperative selection of patients is extremely important in achieving a successful outcome. At the Mayo Clinic, most facial cosmetic surgical procedures performed by the Department of Otorhinolaryngology are done on an outpatient basis. A combination of local anesthesia and intravenous sedation provides excellent patient tolerance and comfort both intraoperatively and postoperatively. Treatment involving the superficial musculoaponeurotic system is used for those patients who require additional underlying support and definition of the facial contour. Postoperative recovery is routinely uneventful. Complications of face-lift surgery are rarely encountered. Case reports are presented to illustrate the representative postoperative results.