Long-Term Results of Face Lift Surgery: Patient Photographs Compared with Patient Satisfaction Ratings

Background: Surgical facial rejuvenation (face lift) remains the aesthetic standard for correction of the anatomical changes of the aging face and for long-lasting results. However, younger patients (younger than 50 years) with early facial aging are often fearful of or discouraged from face-lift surgery in favor of simpler yet short-lived nonsurgical and surgical options. The superficial musculoaponeurotic system-platysma face lift is associated with a high degree of patient satisfaction at 1 year (97.8 percent) and at 12.6 years (68.5 percent). When the satisfaction scores were subdivided into three age groups (younger than 50, 50 to 60, and older than 60 years), the authors found greater satisfaction among the younger age group at the early and long-term intervals. To illustrate these observations, the authors analyzed the photographic results of their survey patients and compared them with their survey results. Methods: The photographic results of the patients from our Owsley Facelift Satisfaction Survey were analyzed and stratified into the three age groups. Six patients (two per age group) were included for analysis and are presented for review. Results: Patient-rated survey results show that the younger age group consistently scored higher positive ratings, longer lasting aesthetic improvement of their five main anatomical areas of correction, and greater overall satisfaction at long-term follow-up. Conclusions: Younger patients with early or minimal signs of facial aging should be considered candidates for surgical facial rejuvenation ("maintenance face lifts") and are the preferred candidates. This age group of patients has consistently positive overall satisfaction with longer lasting facial aesthetic correction. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 129: 253, 2012.)