Midface Lift CENTER FOR FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY AT ENT SPECIALISTS

Midface Lift

The loss of fat, muscle and bone in the midface (cheek area) with aging leads to the down-sliding of the cheek skin. This, in turn, leads to the deepening of the dark hollow circles underneath the eyes (the tear troughs) and of the naso-labial folds (the folds between the cheeks and the mouth). A midface lift (also known as a Cheek Lift) tightens the sagging cheeks and restores the lost volume. This is performed through a scar-free incision in the upper eyelid crease or via endoscopic (small) incisions in the temporal area behind the hairline. It involves lifting the muscles and the deep tissues in the cheeks. The procedure can be done independently or, more frequently, at the same setting as upper or lower blepharoplasty. Special absorbable sutures are used to anchor the saggy tissues to a higher, more natural position. The sutures dissolve after 3 months, however the effect of the procedure lasts for up to twenty years. When present, the age-related volume loss is addressed with Autologous Fat Transfer (fat injections), done at the same setting.

Endoscopic midface lift. The endoscopic midface lift can be performed via the same incisions as a temporal brow lift. This procedure is ideal for those patients that have primarily tissue laxity and minimum volume loss. Lifting the saggy cheeks improves the contour and convexity of the midface and the eyelid-cheek junction (the Tear Trough).

The advantages of the endoscopic approach are: small incisions, absence of scars and better pulling vector for maximum result. When performed at the same setting as the endoscopic forehead and brow lift, the operative time is usually reduced.

Different anchoring devices can be used during this procedure, such as special sutures or Endotines. They all fully dissolve once the tissues have attached in the new position.

When tissue laxity and descent is associated with significant volume loss, autologous fat injections can be done at the same setting in order to replace the lost volume and enhance the result.

SOOF Lift. A SOOF (Sub-Orbicularis Oculi Fat) Lift is a cheek lift performed through the upper eyelid skin crease incision at the time of upper or lower blepharoplasty. This minimally invasive procedure lifts the orbicularis muscle and the fat situated underneath to improve the convexity and the projection of the cheek. It significantly improves the eyelid-cheek junction (the tear trough) for which reason it is frequently performed at the same time as the lower blepharoplasty in order to improve the cosmetic result.

The SOOF is anchored to the bone lining (the periosteum) with absorbable sutures that fully dissolve after a couple of months, at the time when the tissues have already been fixated in the desired position.