Dr. Summers and his Baltimore, MD cosmetic surgery staff are known throughout Maryland for helping patients with wrinkles and sagging skin achieve a rejuvenated appearance. For people with these problems or unwanted fat in the neck area, he offers a neck lift procedure. In fact, Dr. Summers performs several different types of neck lift procedures for his Annapolis and Baltimore patients. In some cases, liposuction alone is very effective. In other cases, a midline necklift can be done under local anesthesia. And, patients from across the region have sought out Dr. Summers for his minimally invasive suture suspension neck lift — this is a good option for those seeking a well defined jaw line. A description of the neck lift procedure and frequently asked questions can be found below.
Sometimes, eating right and exercising does not prevent fat from accumulating in problem areas. This is often the case with the neck as we grow older. In other individuals, the neck skin begins to wrinkle or sag or develop bands of skin. Even with a young looking face, problems with the neck can age a person considerably.
A necklift procedure can be performed at the Maryland Plastic Surgery Center with tightening of the skin, removal of excess fat, and the placement of internal sutures or suspension sutures, as necessary. If the skin is of adequate quality, neck liposuction alone is an excellent way to improve the appearance of the neck. During the procedure, Dr. Summers will make incisions in areas that will hide the scars, such as the crease under the chin or behind the ears. Next, Dr. Summers will sculpt the neck area to your specifications.
Note: If Dr. Summers believes you have reduced elasticity of the skin, a facelift may be recommended at the same time as the neck liposuction to prevent the excess skin from sagging around the areas where the fatty tissue was removed.
For most neck lift procedures, you will remain awake – however, you may choose to have sedation if desired. A local anesthetic will be used on the areas to be treated so that you will experience no pain, but you may experience some sensations of pressure or vibration. In some cases, a sedative or general anesthetic is given, which would make you sleep through the surgery. The neck lift procedure is completed in about an hour.
Tightening of the neck muscles requires hidden incisions under the chin. Permanent sutures are placed to create a “corset” – this procedure is also known as a platysmaplasty.
Traditionally, necklift procedures (such as above) have required the removal of skin from behind the ear, leaving a scar that runs up into the hairline. Other disadvantages to a “traditional” necklift procedure include:
– the scar may be visible in patients with short hair
– a man’s beard may be moved behind the earlobe
– a “pulled” look can occur on the side of the neck
– stretching of the scar can cause distortion and discoloration of the skin behind the ear
Several years ago, Dr. Summers modified the traditional necklift procedure. He found that he was able to significantly reduce the length of the incisions in most patients, eliminating the visible scar in the hairline. Next, Dr. Summers improved the stability of the platysmaplasty (the muscle tightening portion of the traditional necklift) by incorporating an interwoven and interlocking suspension suture technique. He has made further modifications to this, and in most patients is now able to lift the neck without displacing the beard and without the issues related to scars behind the ears. In fact, Dr. Summers has been able to obtain a secure, long-lasting necklift in most patients with only a small incision hidden in the crease behind the ear.
Necklift procedures are performed on an outpatient basis at the Maryland Plastic Surgery Center, and you will be able to go home within a few hours after the surgery. If you had your procedure done under sedation, please arrange to have someone drive you home. You may return to work and sedentary activities at your convenience.
You may experience soreness, stiffness, burning, swelling, numbness or bleeding for a few days after the procedure. This is part of the healing process, and Dr. Summers will prescribe medication to alleviate your discomfort.
Stitches will be removed within one week. You will be given a compression band to wear 24-hours daily for the first week after surgery. This is necessary to maintain the new shape of your neck during the healing process and to prevent fluid collections. This band will also reduce swelling.
The results of a necklift are permanent, and the fat deposits will not recur. However, sagging skin through the natural process of aging can still occur.
In addition to helping neck lift patients, Dr. Summers offers other facial procedures at his cosmetic surgery practice. Please visit these pages to learn about how Dr. Summers helps Baltimore facelift, rhinoplasty, lip augmentation, eyelid lift and forehead lift, patients.
Click on a question below to see the answer.
A: It is very common for Dr. Summers to perform a combined facelift and necklift procedure at the Maryland Plastic Surgery Center. Also, some patients elect to have other facial cosmetic procedures, such as lip augmentation, blepharoplasty (eyelid lift), browlift, and rhinoplasty or otoplasty.
When a necklift is being performed with liposuction of the neck, other areas of the body may have liposuction performed also. For example, liposuction of the neck may be combined with liposuction of the hips, abdomen or thighs.
A: Due to the variety of procedures available in plastic surgery, there can be no blanket rule on age although age will be taken into consideration when planning your operation. People of all ages have taken advantage of the image-enhancement offered by plastic surgery. There are even procedures appropriate for young children! It is important to realize the limitations of plastic surgery. Plastic surgery cannot “fix” every situation or reverse the aging process. What is a good procedure for one person may not be an appropriate procedure for another. We are committed to making your plastic surgery experience a successful one.
A: During your consultation we will discuss your desired changes and expectations, review your medical history and current health, and make an assessment on whether the procedure(s) in question are right for you. This is a good time to ask specific questions about the procedure so that you are fully prepared, mentally and emotionally, for surgery. We will discuss the results that can be achieved, with the aid of photos and/or computer imaging. When a final decision is made, you will need to sign an informed consent stating that you are fully aware and understand what is entailed by your pending operation, including the potential complications and secondary effects.
A: Generally, post-operative instructions call for rest and limited movement in order to speed up the healing process and recovery time. The length of recovery varies with each procedure and is different for each individual. Bruises usually disappear within a few days, and most swelling is gone in a matter of weeks. If you follow our post-operative instructions carefully, you will be able to enjoy your normal activities within no time. Your scars will fade over time but are permanent. We take care to conceal any scars so that they are barely visible, if at all. The image-enhancing effects of plastic surgery become more evident over time with certain procedures taking up to a year for your body to fully adjust and settle into its new look. When you come in for your consultation we can discuss your expected recovery period and any post-operative instructions in detail.
A: For most neck lift procedures, you will remain awake – however, you may choose to have sedation if desired. A local anesthetic will be used on the areas to be treated so that you will experience no pain, but you may experience some sensations of pressure or vibration. In some cases, a sedative or general anesthetic is given, which would make you sleep through the surgery. The neck lift procedure is completed in about an hour.
A: Maryland Plastic Surgery is Maryland’s premiere cosmetic surgery center and medical spa. The Center’s director, Dr. Adam Summers, is an expert cosmetic surgeon who uses advanced techniques to achieve natural looking results. Just 15 minutes from Baltimore, Howard County (Columbia) and Annapolis, the Center specializes in tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), breast augmentation, breast lift, liposuction, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and facelift procedures. © Baltimore Maryland Plastic Surgery Center and Medical Spa.
Dr. Adam Summers performs the Most Facelift a long lasting minimally invasive facelift procedure which he developed at the Maryland Plastic Surgery Center. The Most Facelift is a customized variation of the Threadlift Face Lift (eg. Silk Lift, Aptos Lift, Featherlift, Soft Lift, Curl Lift). The Maryland Plastic Surgery Center is just minutes from Ellicott City, Towson, Rockville, Silver Spring, Bethesda, Annapolis, Baltimore, Columbia and Washington DC. Copyright 2007 Maryland Plastic Surgery - One Hour Threadlift Facelift in Maryland.