SURGICAL PROCEDURES

Facial Rejuvenation Procedures:

Facial Rejuvenation

Dr. Fernandez often performs Facial Rejuvenation for patients that have multiple areas to improve upon. The continued development of new techniques and technologies allows for shorter procedures, less anesthesia, shorter recovery and often, less cost. The procedures can be performed individually and staged when necessary to better accommodate your schedule or in combination when it is appropriate.

With more traditional approaches designed to improved the facial contour, a facelift is designed to improve sagging facial skin, jowls and loose neck skin. During this procedure Dr. Fernandez removes excess fat, tightens muscles, and redrapes the skin.

To improve the facial appearance in regards to skin tone and texture, Dr. Fernandez may also use an Ultrapulse Carbon Dioxide Laser that treats layers of damaged skin. Laser resurfacing is designed to even out the skin of the face and smooth fine wrinkles. It softens lines around the eyes and mouth and minimizes facial scars and uneven pigmentation. Laser resurfacing can be done all over the surface of the face when done as a single procedure or just in certain areas (such as the eyelids or the mouth) in combination with a facelift.

In Facial Rejuvenation surgery, Dr. Fernandez addresses the appearance of the eyes as well. A blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) is designed to correct drooping upper eyelids and puffy skin below the eyes by removing excess skin and adjusting the position of the fat. Sometimes a forehead lift will also help to achieve reduction of frown lines and creases in the brow area.

All of these procedures when combined into Facial Rejuvenation take several hours. During your Facial Rejuvenation you will be under general anesthesia provided by a Board Certified Anesthesiologist. Dr. Fernandez will perform the surgery at Florida Plastic Surgery Center ^sm our accredited in-office surgery facility.

After the procedure you will remain in our recovery suite until you are cleared by the physicians for discharge. You then will be transferred to an overnight recovery facility for your safety and optimal initial recovery. The following day Dr. Fernandez will examine you and you will be released to recuperate in the comfort of your own home, with the assistance of a responsible adult. The average time off work is ten to fourteen days. These procedures can also be done individually when desired.

Rhytidectomy (Facelift)

Procedure: Improving sagging facial skin, jowls, and loose neck skin by removing excess fat, tightening muscles, redraping skin. Most often done on men and women over 40.
Length: Several hours.
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient. Some patients may require short inpatient stay.
Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness and tenderness of skin; tight feeling, dry skin. For men, permanent need to shave behind ears, where beard-growing skin is repositioned.
Risks: Injury to the nerves that control facial muscles or feeling (usually temporary but may be permanent). Infection, bleeding. Poor healing; excessive scarring. Asymmetry or change in hairline.
Recovery: Back to work: 10 to 14 days. More strenuous activity: 2 weeks or more. Bruising: 2 to 3 weeks. Must limit exposure to sun for several months.
Duration of Results: Usually 5 to 10 years.

Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Brow Lift (Forehead Lift)

Procedure: Minimize forehead creases, drooping eyebrows, hooding over eyes, furrowed forehead and frown lines by removing excess tissue, altering muscles and tightening the forehead skin. May be done using the traditional technique, with an incision across the top of the head just behind the hairline; or with the use of an endoscope, which requires 3 to 5 short incisions. Most often done on people over 40.
Length: 1 to 2 hours.
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary swelling, numbness, headaches, bruising. Traditional method: Possible itching and hair loss.
Risks: Injury to facial nerve, causing loss of motion, muscle weakness, or asymmetrical look. Infection. Broad or excessive scarring.
Recovery: Back to work: 7 to 10 days, usually sooner for endoscopic forehead lift. More strenuous activity: several weeks. Full recovery from bruising: 2 to 3 weeks. Limit sun exposure for several months.
Duration of Results: Usually 5 to 10 years.

Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Surgery)

Procedure: Correct drooping upper eyelids and puffy bags below the eyes by removing excess fat, skin, and muscle. (Upper-eyelid surgery may be covered by insurance if used to correct visual field defects)
Length: 1 to 3 hours.
Anesthesia: Usually locally with sedation or general.
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary discomfort, tightness of lids, swelling, bruising. Temporary dryness, burning, itching of eyes. Excessive tearing, sensitivity to light for first few weeks.
Risks: Temporary blurred or double vision. Infection, bleeding. Swelling at the corners of the eyelids. Dry eyes. Formation of whiteheads. Slight asymmetry in healing or scarring. Difficulty in closing eyes completely (rarely permanent). Pulling down of the lower lids (may require further surgery). Blindness (extremely rare).
Recovery: Reading: 2 or 3 days. Back to work: 7 to 10 days. Contact lenses: two weeks or more. Strenuous activities, alcohol: about 3 weeks. Bruising and swelling gone: several weeks.
Duration of Results: Several years. Sometimes permanent.

Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Procedure: Smooth the face and smooth fine wrinkles using a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser device that treats layers of damaged skin. Softens lines around the eyes and mouth and minimizes facial scars and unevenly pigmented areas.
Length: A few minutes to 1 hour. May require more than 1 session.
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient, unless combined with other surgical procedures that require hospitalization.
Side Effects: Temporary swelling, discomfort. Lightening of treated skin. Acute sun sensitivity. Increased sensitivity to makeup. Pinkness or redness in skin that may persist for up to 6 months.
Risks: Burns or injuries caused by laser heat. Scarring. Abnormal changes in skin color. Flare-up of viral infections ("cold sores") and other infections (rare).
Recovery: Back to work: 2 weeks. More strenuous activities: 4-6 weeks. Complete fading of redness: 6 months or less. Return of pigmentation/light sun exposure: 6-12 months.
Duration of Results: Long-lasting, but does not stop aging. New wrinkles, expression lines may form as skin ages.

Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Rhinoplasty (Nose Reshaping)

Procedure: Reshape nose by reducing or increasing size, removing hump, changing shape of tip or bridge, narrowing span of nostrils, or changing angle between nose and upper lip. May also relieve some breathing problems. (May be covered by insurance.)
Length: 1 to 2 hours or more.
Anesthesia: Local with sedation, or general.
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary swelling, bruising around eyes, nose and headaches. Some bleeding and stiffness.
Risks: Infection. Small burst blood vessels resulting in tiny, permanent red spots. Incomplete improvement, requiring additional surgery.
Recovery: Back to work: 1 to 2 weeks. More strenuous activities: 2 to 3 weeks. Avoid hitting nose or sunburn: 8 weeks. Final appearance: 1 year or more.
Duration of Results: Permanent

Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Otoplasty (Ear Reshaping)

Procedure: Set prominent ears back closer to the head, or reduce the size of large ears. Most often done on children between the ages of 4 and 14 years. (Occasionally covered by insurance.)
Length: 2 to 3 hours.
Anesthesia: Young children: usually general. Older children or adults: general or local, with sedation.
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary throbbing, aching, swelling, redness, numbness.
Risks: Infection of cartilage. Excessive scarring. Blood clot that may need to be drained. Mismatched or artificial- looking ears. Recurrence of the protrusion, requiring repeat surgery.
Recovery: Back to work or school: 5 to 7 days. Strenuous activity, contact sports: 1 to 2 months.
Duration of Results: Usually permanent

Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Fat Injections

Procedure: Plump up creased, furrowed, or sunken facial skin; add fullness to lips and backs of hands. Works best on thin, dry, light-colored skin. This is done by harvesting fat from another area of the body such as sites from the abdomen, flanks, hips or thighs.
Length: 15 minutes to 1 hour per session.
Anesthesia: Local.
In/Outpatient: Outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary stinging, throbbing, or burning sensation. Faint redness, swelling, excess fullness.
Risks: Contour irregularities, infection.
Duration of Results: Some patients have results that can last a year of more; most patients report that at least half of the injected fullness disappears within 3-6 months. Repeated injections may be necessary to maintain your results.

Scar Revision

Procedure: Improve the appearance of unsightly scars.
Length: One-half to one hour.
Anesthesia: Usually local.
In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient.
Side Effects: Temporary bruising, swelling, numbness, soreness.
Risks: Infection, recurrence of unsightly scarring.
Recovery: Back to work: 1-3 days.
 

Next Page >

Email this page to a friend	Top of Page

Florida Plastic Surgery ^sm
2902 59th St. W., Suite A.
Bradenton, FL 34209
Phone: (941) 795-2088
FAX (941) 792-5139
Info@drefernandez.com