Facial surgery

Complications

In addition to general anaesthetic and surgical complications the significant problems that may occur following face lifts are haematomas, poor wound healing and damage to the facial nerve.  

In the rare event of a large haematoma you will need to be returned to the operating theatre for the haematoma to be removed and its source controlled. Smaller haematomas can be removed with a needle in the rooms. This is necessary to prevent prolonged lumpiness underneath the skin with some discolouration of the skin surface.

There will be numbness of your cheeks which can last for three to six months following surgery. You may also get some numbness of the ears which should recover in a very similar timescale.

The most severe but fortunately rare complication following a face lift is damage to the facial nerve which controls the movement of the muscles of the face. If damage does occur this is usually temporary and involves the branch that runs along the lower border of the jaw and controls movement of the lower lip. A great deal of care is taken to protect the nerve and significant aspects of technique are designed to minimise the risk damaging the facial nerve.

Operations on the eyelids, brows and neck are often performed with facelifts.