Endoscopic Facelift
Endoscopic Facelift
We, plastic surgeons try to improve existing surgical techniques as more people take an interest in plastic surgery and technology advances. We’re constantly asking ourselves: “How could this be done better?,” “How can we make people look younger?,” “How can we leave behind less scarring.” Sometimes we update old methods; other times, we blend the old with new.
Endoscope has been used in general surgery, obstetrics, and orthopedics for years. It is a flexible tube with an objective lens and camera attached to it. This camera is directional, luminous, and can transfer images clearly onto computer when connected. By this means, we can see the entire area without making large incisions.
In endoscopic face-lift, we make five 1-cm incisions in your scalp. Next, we insert in an endoscopic camera alongside special instruments designed for endoscopic surgery. Then, we release your sagging tissue in the deep and bloodless plane and relocate them elsewhere to give you results that look more natural. The tissues and structures in the deep plane are placed in their new places with fine work. Individual planning is done to make you appear younger, more attractive, and more dynamic – especially around your forehead, eyebrows, temples, eye corners (almond eye), and the middle of your face.
Endoscopic facelift surgery can include:
- Endoscopic forehead lift
- Endoscopic brow lift
- Endoscopic temporal lift
- Endoscopic almond eye surgery.
Any one or all of the above can be done to you based on your needs.
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- No large incisions or large dressings
- Faster recovery time than mini and full face-lifts
- Anyone – regardless of age – can benefit, so long as they don’t have severe sagging/loose skin
There are many methods that can make your face look more attractive, defined, and younger, and that can repair your sagging skin. Your complaints and expectations are important in these methods. Each method differs in age, combinability, duration of action, economic cost, surgical scar, and treatment effect.
During the examination, Dr. Ozsular first will examine you and listen to your requests and expectations, determine the most appropriate treatment method, and inform you about the procedure and its results.
Next, he’ll photograph you from different angles and with facial expressions, analyze your facial features, and plan your surgery out with drawings. Those photos and simulation give you a rough preview/idea of what you’ll look like afterwards (this is just an estimate).
After deciding on the operation, your doctor will ask you to have some routine tests. Before the surgery, Dr. Ozsular may tell you to use or temporarily stop using certain medications – in which case you should do so.
Likewise, the same goes for anticoagulants and herbal tea – if he tells you stop using/drinking them, then do so one week before surgery.
Try to reduce how much salt you consume as well one week before the surgery. This will reduce your risk of developing edema.
This surgery will be conducted under general anesthesia.
Since the surgery will be conducted with general anesthesia, you will need to fast for at least six hours prior to the procedure. (If you forget to do so, your surgery may be postponed or canceled.)
Don’t put on make-up, nail polish, or enamel.
Don’t wear wigs. Don’t wear any jewelry (including piercings) – your body should be free of metal.
Also, don’t forget to put together an overnight bag – including loose (around the neck), casual clothes (preferably with zippers/buttons) to make it easier for you to get dressed- before you come in for the surgery.
An hour before the surgery, you will be taken to your room to rest. Your final preparations for the surgery will be conducted. Dr. Ozsular and his assistant will come and visit you.
You’ll be taken to the operating room when it is time for surgery. The doctor will begin working on you as soon as you’re placed under general anesthesia.
The surgery lasts for 1 to 3 hours. This may prolong if other procedures are planned.
At the end of surgery, he’ll make your dressing and then awake you up.
When you wake up, you won’t be in any pain (due to local anesthesia). You may feel dizzy due to general anesthesia – this will go away within a few hours.
Dr. Ozsular will visit you afterwards and tell you how everything went.
You will develop swelling and edema on your face and around your ear area a few hours after the surgery. You can alleviate this swelling by applying a cold compress as prescribed by the doctor.
You can begin to eat four hours after the surgery – preferably a warm soup.
You’ll stay in the hospital overnight.
You will feel pain for the first few days after the operation. It will be sufficient to use the analgesics prescribed by your doctor.
You can return to your normal routine 10 days later.
Your swelling and edema will begin to subside 7 - 10 days later, allowing your new face to gradually emerge within the first month. This process can vary between 6 months to a year to settle entirely, depending on the structure of the person.
Your eyes will look slightly slanted, whilst your eyebrows will look excessively high for the first 3 weeks. This is normal – then your face features will settle.
Make sure you protect your face from any impact for the first few weeks. Also don’t rub it heavily.
Only sleep on your back for the first 2 weeks.
You won’t require any bed rest until your first control. If you take good care of yourself, you can go for little walks, rest, and even travel.
Avoid hot or pressurized environments such as Turkish baths and saunas.
You’ll have two controls on the 3rd and 7th days after the surgery, during which your dressing will get changed.
You can begin to do pilates and stretching 4 weeks later. That said, avoid intensive exercise for first 4 to 6 weeks.
If you’re coming from outside Istanbul or abroad, you will need stay for 5 to 7 days here.
Endoscopic facelift is ideal for anyone whose face is sagging mildly. It neither removes your excess skin, nor does it intervene with your soft tissue.
Eyebrow and temporal lifting alongside almond eye surgery can be done – in combination – via endoscopic method for young people who aren’t happy with the position of their eyebrows or the shape of their eyes, but don’t require intervention on middle face and have negative canthal tilt result.
Endoscopic face-lift procedures:
- Require fewer incisions, and thus less scarring.
- Hide the scars inside your scalp and upper eyelid
- Offer shorter and more comfortable recovery than other face-lift procedures - as there is minimal intervention thanks to a thin endoscope camera
- Don’t make incision on your face
- Allow you to treat the effects of excessive aging before they happen.
- Give you a tighter, smoother, younger, and more dynamic looking forehead, temples, eye area, and face (especially around the middle)
- Can be done in combination with other surgeries and stem cell application.
Aging is a life-long process; our face thus ages with us. The effects of endoscopic face-lift thus vary depending on your genetics, how fast you age, and your quality of life. For most people, its visible effects last for 5 and 10 years.
Yes. The most frequently combined operations are upper and lower eyelid surgeries and the repair of under-eye bags.
If necessary, chin implant and neck beautification are operations that can be planned as extra procedures for the face.
Stem cell-rich fat transfer is also a successful application that is frequently applied to add the richness and volume of the stem cell to the subcutaneous tissue.
Stem cell is a successful and reliable application that can be applied in combination with many operations performed on the face and body. Transferring the stem cells needed to the tissues that have undergone surgery and are in the healing process carries the success and results of the surgery to another point. A note about what stem cells are and what they’re used for:
One reason behind all these symptoms in aging is that our stem cells beneath our skin begin to die off at a rate of 2% per year after the ages of 25. So, when you are 40 and never offer a support to your skin inside, you’ll have 20% fewer stem cells than someone who is 30. If you’re a 50-year-old woman, you’ll have 40% fewer cells than your 30-year-old counterpart (your genetics, your quality of life, and how well you take care of your skin are important factors).
These stem cells are called as fibroblasts. As they die off, your cruciate ligaments will break, your skin will lose its volume, elasticity, and youthful shine and become looser, sag, wrinkle, and become spotted.
During the surgery, we’ll remove fat from another part of your body via liposuction, and then filter it through a closed system. Then, we’ll re-inject the stem cell-enrich fat back into your face through nano-fat and micro-fat transfer to give it volume and make it look younger.
In short, if you want a younger, fresher, and brighter look skin by increasing naturally subcutaneous volume and quality, then there’s nothing better than stem cells!
Endoscopic face-lift alone makes your features look younger, and gives you a tighter and smoother-looking face.
When combined with stem cell-rich fat transfer, you’ll skin will be of higher quality. Your enhanced quality of skin will make the result more striking.
When your skin will be healthier, brighter, glow more, it will give you a younger-looking face.
The fat tissue transferred under your skin will give your face more volume and fullness.
Stem cells transferred beneath your skin are agents that repair it and give you your youth back. It also accelerates tissue recovery from the inside.
Since it is your own tissue, there is almost no risk of rejection for new transferred tissue after surgery.
If we combine this process with liposuction, we can rid you of unwanted fat and rejuvenate your face. (This is not suitable for everyone. Dr. Ozsular would have to do an examination on you first and assess your age, weight, and level of fitness.)
We don’t suggest that you have anything done until at least 3 months after the surgery when your new face settles.
Endoscopic face-lift procedures pose a much smaller risk of nerve damage than other face-lift procedures, as the surgeon sees your nerves and protects them via endoscope.
Endoscopic facelift procedures are much less invasive than facelift ones. Thus, your swelling and edema will subside sooner – as early as 15 days after surgery – allowing your new face to gradually emerge. It’ll assume its new, healthier glow 3 to 6 months later – (for some people, this takes longer.)
No, it won’t. If you want that, then you should also have a stem cell-rich fat transfer, laser treatment, mesotherapy, PRP, or Dermapen done.
Yes, but they’ll be behind your scalp (we make five 2-cm incisions) – they, thus won’t be externally visible.
They won’t even be noticeable on women with long hair.
They may be visible on men with thin hair – your doctor will assess this condition and the location of the scars before the surgery.
