Once the domain of only the rich and famous, cosmetic surgery is now being considered by many men and women at midlife and beyond who want to have a younger, firmer appearance to match the active lifestyle they lead. A new advance in cosmetic surgery – the endoscopic facelift – can take years off your appearance more quickly than ever before. For appropriate individuals, an endoscopic facelift offers facial rejuvenation with a minimum of scarring, faster recovery, and less risk of complications than traditional facelifts.

Smaller instruments, great skill
Surgeons have long used endoscopes for general surgery as well as gynecological and orthopedic procedures. Endoscopic surgery enables smaller incisions, promotes faster healing, and results in fewer side effects. So why is endoscopic surgery just now making its appearance in the field of cosmetic surgery? Eric Marchant, MD, a Doylestown Hospital plastic surgeon, suggests a reason. “Although endoscopes have been around for a while, it’s only been in the last two or three years that the delicate instruments required to lift and reposition facial tissue and muscles have evolved for facial surgery,” he explains. “With these instruments – combined with the latest endoscopic technology – a skilled surgeon is able to make smaller and more focused adjustments to give a person a more youthful appearance without the expense or recovery time associated with a traditional facelift.” The ideal candidate for an endoscopic facelift is someone who has a problem in a specific area – perhaps the brow, cheeks, jowls, or neck – but who doesn’t have a lot of excess skin.“The traditional facelift remains the procedure of choice for many patients,” says Dr. Marchant. “A person really needs to have an evaluation by a plastic surgeon experienced in both techniques to determine the best procedure for that particular individual.”

How the procedure is performed
An endoscopic facelift is typically performed as an outpatient procedure. Depending on the patient and the objectives of the operation, the procedure can sometimes be done with a local anesthetic, but often some degree of anesthesia is required. During the procedure, a plastic surgeon with special training in endoscopy makes several small incisions (usually less than one inch in length) in a relatively unnoticeable area and inserts into one of the incisions a tiny fiberoptic tube connected to a microscopic camera that sends images of the surgical area to a video monitor. The surgeon inserts tiny instruments into the other incisions and, with the guidance of the images on the monitor, uses these instruments to lift and reposition the sagging muscles. Because endoscopic facial surgery is significantly less invasive than traditional surgery, there is less bleeding, bruising, and swelling, with a faster recovery time. In fact, many patients can return to normal activities, including work, in about a week.

If you’ve been thinking about recapturing a younger appearance to go with the lively spring in your step, endoscopic facelift surgery may be worthy of a second look.