This is a corollary article to the prior blog about AI evaluating which facelifts reverse aging better. (Hint: SMAS needs to be addressed and you need to fat graft). But I found this part of the article interesting.
How do you evaluate if a facelift was worth it? And what do patients say?
They looked at the Face Q Domain and scale:
- Overall facial appearance
- Specific appearance: Cheek, Lower face/jawline, nasolabial fold, neck, under chin
- Quality of life assessment: Social function, psychological well being early life impact
- Self aging appraisal
- Satisfaction with outcome
- Satisfaction with decision
The scores here for their study ranged consistently from 75% to 84%.
Then they added a separate score for those who did fat grafting (and they only fat grafted the cheek- they didn’t go all over the face like I do, which I think is kind of crazy as I love the fat grafting changes particularly around the mouth, lips, and chin).
For fat grafting they looked at
- Overall facial appearance
- Specific areas: cheek, nasolabial fold
- Satisfaction with outcome
- Satisfaction with decision.
The score here ranged from 80-85% for those who did fat grafting, and 70-73% for those who did not.
My thoughts?
This study showed that facelift patients were 85% happy they decided to do a facelift. They were most happy with changes in the cheek, a little less for the neck and chin.
The authors recognize there are many factors which help you decide which surgery to do. Age of patient, their health, do they have fat (I seriously have some patients who have NO fat to harvest to do fat transfer with, so though I love to do fat grafting, I just can’t in them.) They would have loved more patients, longer follow up, and adding comparison of more techniques.
But overall the message is clear- facelift patients tend to be glad they did it, especially when you add fat grafting.