Suspension Thread Lift
Procedure: Suspension Thread Lift
Surgery Length: length of time will depend on the total number of threads used ( 2 to 3 hours)
Anesthesia: Local with oral sedation
Where: Outpatient Office
Recovery: Puckering, dimpling, or wrinkling (resolves within 6 weeks), Asymmetry of face (resolves within a few weeks), Swelling and/or bruising (resolves within 2 weeks), Threads are left tapped to the face and then tightened and clipped after 24 hours, Fluid may develop under the skin which resolves within 1-3 days
Back to work: few days to one week
Full activities: one week
Risks: Minor complications may include swelling, bruising, thread rupture, skin irregularities, asymmetries, puckering and infection. In some cases, patients may feel some tightness or pulling or may be able to feel the threads.
As the aging process begins your tissue thins because the collagen and elastin fibers break down. The resulting changes are seen as sagging, deep creases, folds and wrinkles that usually begin to appear in you thirties. In general, the best candidates for a Suspension thread lift include both men and women in their thirties to their sixties who want a more dramatic and long lasting effect than fillers and Botox or other treatments can provide, but do not want a full face lift, brow lift or neck lift procedure.
Suspension threads have now become available and have been utilized as temporizing sutures for doing abbreviated uplifting to correct signs of aging in the forehead, face and neck. They are a safe and effective procedure that offers subtle, natural-looking results. Dr. Kennedy, utilizing this technique, is able to produce a relaxed, refreshed appearance while preserving and enhancing the natural contours of your face. They are not meant to replace better alternative surgical techniques that facilitate more effective, sustained lift of these areas (endoscopic forehead lift and facelift/neck lift); rather it offers patients an innovative, minimally invasive approach to achieving face and neck lift-like results. In the future, if you desire to have a more invasive procedure such as a facelift, it would be possible. Suspension threads were developed by a board certified plastic surgeon, their unique design makes it simple for Dr. Kennedy to perform a traditional face lift, brow lift or neck procedure when you are ready. This product can also be used to complement other facial rejuvenation techniques such as Restylane/Perlane fillers and/or Botox. It is not uncommon to have a thread lift combined with Botox to reduce facial muscle activity, or Restylane/Perlane (dermal fillers) to enhance volume. Chin augmentation and liposuction of the neck are some of the other procedures that can be done in conjunction with a suspension thread lift.
Dr. Kennedy will assess your needs at your consultation. He will evaluate your goals and specific anatomical considerations including skin quality, degree of sagging, underlying bone structure and where you desire a lifting effect. The more threads used at one time, the greater the lift you can achieve.
Suspension thread lift procedures can facilitate improvement in sagging areas of skin and muscle in the areas described with minimal incisions and with minimal downtime. They can be employed particularly in patients who have other health problems that negate more extensive anesthetics required for the other more involved surgical approaches to cosmetic reconstruction. These threads are also facilitative for patients who are desirous of less downtime and minimally invasive technique for their surgical correction of early signs of aging that have not yet progressed to full blown sagging or weakness. In properly selected patients, suspension threads can be used to lift sagging eyebrows, adjust asymmetric brows, reposition sagging cheeks, lift drooping soft tissues of the mid and lower face, and smooth out premature skin aging.
This product is approved by the FDA for lifting the sagging contours of the brow, mid-face and neck areas. The suspension threats are made of clear polypropylene, so they are not visible under fair or thin skin. Polypropylene is a material that has been safely used in the body for many years in other medical devices.
The procedure is generally quick and usually performed under local anesthesia with oral sedation. The actual length of time will depend on the total number of threads used. The recovery time depends on the extent of the procedure and the number of threads utilized. Generally, patients can return to normal activities or to work within a few days to one week. In most cases, there is minimal discomfort, bruising and swelling. Concealing makeup may be worn the next day.
Suspension threads generally lasts a considerable length of time; however, physicians’ experiences have shown that duration varies, depending on the age of the patient at the time of the procedure, the degree of sagging, and the number of threads used.
When performed by a certified, experienced physician, the suspension thread lift is very safe and complications are very rare. Minor complications may include swelling, bruising, thread rupture, skin irregularities, asymmetries, puckering and infection. In some cases, patients may feel some tightness or pulling or may be able to feel the threads.
As with other techniques done with sutures there can be last minute adjustment
of the sutures before release in as much that the sutures may be placed and the following day or two the patient may be seen again before the sutures are tightened and cut off from the surface of the skin. It has been rarely reported that nerves have been injured or blood vessels bruised in the process of placing the threads. Rarely will a suture come to the surface, but if that would occur it would require an office procedure to correct it.
