MACS Lift & Volume Facelift – the Technical stuff

A MACS Lift and Volume Facelift performed at the Encorė Cosmetic Clinic, will leave your face looking fresher and more youthful.

MACS (Minimal Access Cranial Suspension) is one of the safest, most popular lifting techniques in the world. It is a procedure that lifts the lower part of the face and the upper neck.

The treatment is particularly effective in improving excess jowling and improving the jawline, as well as improving the lines and grooves running between the nose and mouth. It can also target wrinkles and saggy skin near the cheek bones.

Ageing, sun exposure, and even smoking, can cause facial changes in the cheek areas, as well as below the eyes, temple and forehead. A MACS Facelift offers patients many advantages and benefits over other procedures.

The procedure is ideal for women between 30 and 60 years of age, or for those who’ve previously had a full facelift that requires a ‘touch up’. It requires no general anaesthetic and generally has a fast post-op recovery.

Some patients may benefit further from having an autologous fat transfer or fillers (the so called ‘Liquid facelift) injected at the same time as having a MACS Facelift to gain maximum improvement in their facial appearance.

A well-executed MACS Facelift will tighten much of your facial skin and leave you looking fresher with a more youthful appearance.

What are the advantages of a MACS Facelift over other forms of face lifting?

  • A minimal, well-hidden scar. The scar from a MACS Facelift should be imperceptible to a casual observer. The scar is confined to the front of the ear and a small area of hairline above the ear. The scar from a MACS Facelift is smaller than with many other facelifting procedures.
  • Generally less swelling and bruising than from other types of facelifts. This is because the area of skin that is loosened is much smaller and only involves a portion of the cheek.
  • It is a safer procedure in smokers because there is less skin being loosened, therefore the blood supply to the skin is less likely to be compromised. This means less risk of any skin necrosis (breakdown), compared to some other types of facelifts.
  • Unlike many other facelifts which do not include significant mid face elevation, the MACS Facelift elevates the malar (cheek) fat pad reducing the nasolabial (the groove running from the corner of the mouth to the nose) folds.
  • There is no deep loosening of the tissue under the skin, so there is very little likelihood of damage to the facial nerve.
  • There is no requirement for a general anaesthetic. This makes the MACS Facelift safer and aids in a fast post-operative recovery.

Are other procedures performed at the same time as a MACS Facelift?

In some patients, in addition to a MACS Facelift, other procedures may be performed to gain further improvement in their facial appearance.

The most common of these are:

  • Autologous Fat Transfer
  • Injectable fillers, e.g. Emervel

How is MACS Facelift performed?

Dr Bellaney performs this procedure most commonly with local anaesthetic using tumescent anaesthesia. Once anaesthetised, the operation generally takes about 2-3 hours.

On the day of the procedure, the following steps occur:

  1. Discussing and answering of any ‘last minute’ patient questions
  2. Photos and skin marking
  3. Anaesthesia to several small 2-3mm areas in front of the ear
  4. Tumescent anaesthetic fluid placed into the areas to be operated on
  5. Elevation of the underlying tissue and repositioning by internal sutures and occasionally special tissue glue
  6. Removal of excess skin and meticulous suturing.

Follow-Up

  • Ice packs are applied to the treated areas for 30 – 40 minutes
  • Patients are allowed to go home within 90 minutes of their procedure being completed
  • Someone will have to drive the patient home and stay with them for the first 24 hours
  • Ice packs need to be applied regularly over the next 1-2 days and the patient able to sleep propped up
  • The patient will need to minimise activity and bending over for the first 5-7 days.

How will I look and feel after surgery?

  • Swelling and some bruising is usual following a MACS Face Lift. This normally lasts 1-2 weeks. The bruising and swelling will have usually largely disappeared by the end of the second week
  • Post-operative pain is usually minimal and oral pain relief (eg. Panadol) will normally suffice
  • Sutures are removed after 3-5 days if they have not already dissolved
  • Patients are recommended take 7-10 days off work, after which time normal activities can be resumed.

What are the possible side effects of a MACS Face Lift?

One of the advantages of a MACS Face Lift over many other forms of face lifts, is that it has a very high safety profile. However as with any surgery, there are possible complications:

  • Tingling and numbness around the ears. This is a temporary phenomenon and occurs in the minority of patients. Because a MACS Face Lift operates above the important nerves of the face, permanent nerve damage should never occur.
  • Other complications, although rare, could include infection, post-operative bleeding, wound breakdown and abnormal scarring.

Contact us about a MACS Facelift

If you think a MACS Facelift could be a suitable option for you, please contact Dr Bellaney’s rooms for a consultation where a full assessment will be made and your suitability for a MACS Facelift determined. At the consultation, costing, contraindications and pre-operative requirements such as blood tests will be discussed with you.