Midface lift can be dubbed as the "gold standard" treatment for under-eye problems.

It has the potential to permanently resolve almost all anatomical problems in this region. It is very effective, and its effect is very long lasting. The effect of a well-done midface lift lasts a lifetime. It strongly emphasizes the “feminine” look on a face. Moreover, postoperative surgical scars are almost invisible.

However, despite all these advantages, the recovery process is cumbersome.

If recovery after this surgery was faster, it could be 10 times more commonly performed than it is now.

In midface lift surgery, we lift the face just above the maxilla and zygoma bones, raise it to its new location and fix it to the bone. I have other posts on my blog related to this surgery. I recommend you take a look at them as well.

When you first come out of midface lift surgery, you will have slight swelling on your face. This slight swelling will increase considerably over the next 48 hours, creating a feeling of weight on your face. You may feel like a bubble about to explode. Some really ask, “Will I explode?” Fortunately, no one has exploded so far, but the extent of the swelling can be frightening.

The swelling will start to decrease on postop day 3, but it will remain intense for 4-6 weeks depending on the person's constitution. We make the first before-after comparison in month 3. Even then, 20% of the swelling still persists.

In the early period, swelling significantly changes the structure of the face. A slight resemblance to Far Eastern people is quite normal. The eyes will be slanted as well. If you have midface surgery and visit Mongolia two weeks later, people may not realize that you are a tourist.

But just know that this is temporary. Although in the early period it feels like it will always stay with you, your face will slowly restore to its own form.

This long-lasting surgical edema is the key point you need to know about midface lift surgery. It will not be possible for you to resume work or social life immediately after this surgery. Ideally, you will need a break for 4-6 weeks.

The first days after midface lift are characterized by mild discomfort that we normally expect after facial surgeries. Since we fix the outer angle of the eye to the bone in midface lift surgery, you will have both a slanted and a tight lower eyelid. This tightness may cause discomfort on the outer surface of the eye, as if there is sand in your eye. Similarly, the conjunctival cover tissue on the side of the eye often forms into a small balloon. There may be a slight burning/stinging in this area. All of these are temporary. We can increase patient comfort with eye drops in the early period. Thus, I recommend that you spend the first night in the hospital.

Bleeding in tissues (hematoma) after midface lift is extremely rare. However, if postoperative swelling and bruising are more dominant in one half of the face, we may need to surgically drain the accumulated blood. This happens sometimes at the bedside, sometimes back in the operating room. But I repeat - It's pretty rare.

 

 

Midface lift surgery raises the midface. When the midface rises, a compression occurs between the midface and the temple area. We often combine midface lift with endoscopic brow lift, particularly in patients with low eyebrows. Patients whose eyebrows are not low before the operation can receive a midface lift from the lower eyelid alone. In patients who have a midface lift alone, a skin fold may occur temporarily between the eyebrows and the outer part of the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid. It may take about 6-12 weeks for this fold to heal by itself. It is an issue that often bothers my patients and feels like it will never get better. But the lateral brow fold almost always resolves spontaneously. If it is still there in month 3, we can save time with Botox.

After midface lift surgery, there may be slight sensory changes on your face, and even slight disproportion in mimic movements. It always happens in the first 48 hours. Most of the time, mimics are restored in 2-3 weeks. It may take up to 3 months for the sensory feeling to go back to normal.

Most of the time, we perform midface lift surgery through a lower eyelid incision. The lateral extension of this incision is determined according to the patient's excess skin in this area and the natural extension of mimic wrinkles. The lower eyelid incisions on the right and left sides do not have to be exactly the same. In most patients, their length and direction may differ slightly. These scars will not be visible in the long run anyway, but they may cause discomfort within 6-12 weeks of presence.

Similarly, the slanting rates of the right and left eyes will be different from each other in the early period. In each patient, the bony frame around the eye has a different structure on the right and left sides. The distance of the external angle of the eyelids (lateral canthus) to the bony frame (orbital rim) is often different on the right and left. On the side where this distance is greater, a more slanted and narrower eye structure may emerge. As bone fixation loosens, the balance between the eyes will be restored within 2-3 months.

Likewise, in cases where we combine midface lift with temporal lift/forehead lift, there will always be minor differences between the levels of the eyebrows. There will be small staples in the hair and very fine sutures at the base of the eyelashes. We remove them in 10-14 days.

All surgeries around the eye can affect the eye, although that is rare. The eye numbers may change after surgery. Sometimes I may have to get help from an ophthalmologist colleague to treat mild conjunctivitis, allergies and changes in intraocular pressure.

The first 3 months of a midface lift is the most difficult period.

You will often hear the phrase "Let's wait until month 3 is past". Those three months feel like three years to some patients. But even in month 3, everything is not over. In month 3, your face will still be slightly edematous. Particularly after operations where we do fixation on the bone, the face gets thinner up to a year. The cheek mass does not droop, but it gradually decreases in size and your facial contour becomes neat.

Midface lift surgery requires serious acumen and psychological stability. It is a very effective surgery and a good investment for the future, provided that you can spare time for recovery. Excuses such as “Doc, I have my wedding in a month,” or “We will start shooting a new movie in 2 months” unfortunately do not change the recovery process. Some patients recover very quickly and may look fine in 3-4 weeks, but when you are planning to undergo a midface lift, consider the possibility of not being as lucky as those in that group.

During preoperative consultation, I will use images to explain the healing process, particularly the photographs of different patients taken in different weeks.

Please feel free to contact us for detailed information on midface lift and the related recovery period.

Take good care...

... of yourself and your beauty.

OB