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Dr. Porterfield (Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery) with offices in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Metropolitan area and Norman, Oklahoma.
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In your initial Face Lift plastic surgery consultation, Dr. Porterfield (Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery, practicing in Oklahoma) will extensively discuss your goals with plastic surgery, evaluate your health, and carefully
examine you to determine the most appropriate Face Lift procedure. He will then discuss the various Face Lift plastic surgery procedures available and what can be achieved with each, including their specific risks. He will also review before and after Face Lift plastic surgery pictures with you as necessary to further display what can be achieved. All facets of the Face Lift plastic surgical workup are covered during the initial consultation and afterwards patients are prepared for the scheduling process. Some will require further medical workup such as labs, imaging, medical clearance, etc. as needed.
His office consultations and surgery are performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He has been formally trained in plastic surgery and is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
During the Face Lift plastic surgery consultation, Dr. Porterfield will also explain the type of anesthesia that will be used, the type of facility where the surgery will be performed, and the costs involved. He will meet with you in his Oklahoma Plastic Surgery offices. His offices are located in Oklahoma City and Norman, Oklahoma.
Be sure to tell Dr. Porterfield, if you smoke, and if you're taking any medications, vitamins, or other drugs.
Be frank in discussing your Face Lift plastic surgery expectations with Dr. Porterfield. He will be equally frank with you, describing your Face Lift alternatives and the risks and limitations of each.
Dr. Porterfield will give you specific Face Lift plastic surgery instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and whether to take or avoid certain vitamins and medications. As a surgeon, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery with a plastic surgery practice in Oklahoma, he has the knowledge and skills to help you.
WE USE BOARD CERTIFIED ANESTHESIOLOGISTS.
We use board certified anesthesiologist for every procedure. This gives the patients constant monitoring during surgery with a board certified professional. It ensures the patient gets the best of care with the highest level of patient safety.
 BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS, CLICK HERE
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General Information
 What Is a Face Lift (rhytidectomy)? The term rhytidectomy is derived from rhytis, the Greek word for wrinkles. It means excision of wrinkles, and occurs as people age. They cannot really be avoided and are usually caused by the effects of gravity, exposure to weather, the loss of elasticity in your skin, and stress. Usually they appear as creases between the nose and mouth. The jaw line also grows slack and folds and fat deposits appear around the neck. While a face lift can't stop this aging process, it can improve the most visible signs of aging by removing excess fat, tightening underlying muscles, and redraping the skin of your face and neck.
How can a face lift help? A face lift cannot correct some problems, but if sagging skin, wrinkles, and jowls have started to appear around your middle and lower face, then a face lift can probably help you. The amount it can help depends on how much wrinkling and sagging is present. If the signs of aging are minimal, then improvement from a rhytidectomy may be subtle. If the wrinkling and sagging is significant, then the results can be quite dramatic.
Are You a Candidate for a Face Lift? Factors such as good physical health, realistic expectations, and costs need to be taken into consideration. We suggest that if you are loosing a considerable amount of weight, you have the face lift after your weight loss.
Who are the best candidates? The best candidates for a face lift are those whose face and neck have begun to sag, but whose skin still has some elasticity and whose bone structure is strong and well defined. Most patients are in their forties to sixties, but facelifts can also be done successfully on people  in their seventies or eighties.
What are the Face Lift Procedure Types and Techniques? There are several different types of face lifts. Some of these techniques are designed to improve the appearance over most of the face, while others are limited to specific areas. Each of the techniques has variations and Dr. Porterfield may choose any or combine one or more of the techniques to create a customized procedure for you. The techniques include:
- Standard, Conventional or Traditional Face Lift
- Superficial (or Sub-) Muscular Aponeurotic System (SMAS)
- Neck Lift (Platysmaplasty)
- S-Lift
- Mini-Face Lift
- Deep Plane Face Lift
- Temporal Face Lift (lateral lift, lateral brow lift)
- Mid-Face Lift
Standard, Conventional or Traditional Face Lift: This procedure helps rejuvenate an aged, sagging face. Incision lines are usually along or behind the hairline at the sides of the face. For most people, the incisions run from just above the ears, down and around the ears (where they are hidden in the natural fold in front of the ears) and then up and behind the ears. Excess skin is removed, and the remaining skin is lifted and sutured into place creating a face that looks tighter and younger. Some surgeons may perform a skin-only face lift, while others may move underlying fat and muscle.
- Superficial (or Sub-) Muscular Aponeurotic System (SMAS) Lift: The SMAS is the facial muscles and connective tissue that are responsible for facial movements. In this method the SMAS
 is tightened in addition to the skin being lifted upward and outward. Some surgeons say that a SMAS lift lasts longer than a skin-only lift.
- Neck Lift (Platysmaplasty): The platysma is the muscle that runs down the neck vertically from the chin. This muscle can loosen and start to droop with age, leading to the appearance of a “turkey neck.” In platysmaplasty, this muscle is tightened and trimmed to create a more youthful appearance, and excess skin and fat are also removed. A neck lift is typically performed in conjunction with a face lift, but it can be performed independently if there is no need to tighten the facial muscles or skin.
- S-Lift: This procedure is sometimes called a mini-face life, and it can improve the appearance of the lower third of the face (including the jaw line, jowls, and neck). An S-shaped incision is made in front of the ear. Skin and underlying layers are then moved and pulled up and to the side and sutured into new positions. An S-lift can also be combined with liposuction of the neck.
- Mini-Face Lift: This procedure lifts the skin of the face to the sides (laterally) using only incisions directly in front of the ear, and can improve the nasolabial folds (the creases that go from the nose to the corners of the mouth).
- Deep Plane Face Lift: This procedure is performed in a deeper plane than the standard face lift. This procedure is similar to a SMAS lift, but can be more beneficial to someone with sagging nasolabial folds.
- Temporal Face Lift (lateral lift, lateral brow lift): This procedure is a variation on a brow lift and uses incisions placed in the hairline at the temples. The tissues are moved to the side and diagonally up and away from the center of the face. This technique can smooth out small wrinkles in the forehead, around the eyes and in the area between your eyebrows at the top of your nose. A temporal lift can give a firmer look to the face by lifting and tightening skin around the cheeks. There are variations to this procedure, including the use of internal suture material for suspension and underlying muscle tightening.
- Mid-Face Lift: This procedure is used to create a more youthful appearance by tightening skin under the eye and improving the appearance of the nasolabial area, upper mouth and outer upper lip area
 . It can be a good choice for younger patients who may not need a full face lift. This procedure does not affect the brows and may therefore be performed in conjunction with a brow lift. A mid-face lift can be carried out two ways. The open technique uses an incision under the lower lash line and can include an additional small incision within the nasolabial fold. This technique is a great option for those who need a more vertical lift rather than a horizontal or diagonal lift, and gives a subtle result and rejuvenation, rather than a dramatically altered appearance. The endoscopic technique requires two short incisions in the scalp above the temples. This approach can improve the appearance of the outer eye, temple and brow.
How do the different types vary?
- Where the incisions are placed
- Whether they adjust skin only or skin and underlying tissue
- What areas of the face they treat
- How invasive they are
Can it be done with other surgeries? A facelift can be done alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as a forehead lift, eyelid surgery, nose reshaping, or liposuction under the chin. It can also be combined with cosmetic surgery to other parts of the body, such as liposuction of the abdomen or thighs or breast enhancement. If you wish more than one type of procedure, consult with Dr. Porterfield to see what he recommends.
How do I prepare for my surgery? Dr. Porterfield will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications. Carefully following these instructions will help your surgery go smoothly. If you smoke, it's especially important to stop at least a week or two before and after surgery; smoking inhibits blood flow to the skin, and can interfere with the healing of your incision areas. Additionally, if your hair is very short, you might want to let it grow out before surgery, so that it's long enough to hide the scars while they heal. You should arrange for someone to drive you home after your surgery and for someone to help you out for a day or two if needed.
How is a Rhytidectomy Procedure Performed? Most face lifts are performed at an outpatient surgery clinic, and the length of time required to complete a rhytidectomy depends on the technique used. Generally a face lift will take between 2 and 3 hours; longer if combined with other procedures such as blepharoplasty.
What is the recovery process like after my surgery? Dr.Porterfield will prescribe pain medication to lessen your pain and discomfort. Severe or persistent pain or a sudden swelling of your face should be reported to our office immediately. Some numbness of the skin is quite normal; it will disappear in a few weeks or months. Dr. Porterfield may tell you to keep your head elevated and as still as possible for a couple of days after surgery, to keep the swelling down. If you've had a drainage tube inserted, it will be removed one or two days after surgery. Bandages are removed at the first postoperative visit. Most of your stitches will be removed after about 7-10 days. Be especially gentle with your face and hair, since your skin will be both tender and numb, and may not respond normally at first. Dr. Porterfield will give more specific guidelines for gradually resuming your normal activities. Above all, get plenty of rest and allow your body to spend its energy on healing.
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Above, Dr. Porterfield (Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery with offices in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Metropolitan area and Norman, Oklahoma) and surgical staff are pictured in one of their Oklahoma City plastic surgery suites.
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What will I look like? We have excellent results with our facelifts especially if you realize that the results may not be immediately apparent. Even after the swelling and bruises are gone, the hair around your temples may be thin and your skin may feel dry and rough for several months. Men may find they have to shave in new places-behind the neck and ears where areas of beard growing skin have been repositioned. You'll have some scars from your facelift, but they're usually hidden by your hair or in the natural creases of your face and ears. In any case, they'll fade with time and should be hardly visible.
What are the risks? When a facelift is performed by a qualified and board certified plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Still, individuals vary greatly in their anatomy, their physical reactions, and their healing abilities, so the outcome is never completely predictable. Complications that can occur include a hematoma (a collection of blood under the skin that must be removed by the surgeon), injury to the nerves that control facial muscles (usually temporary), infection, and reactions to the anesthesia. Poor healing of the skin is most likely to affect smokers. You can reduce your risks by closely following Dr. Porterfields advice both before and after surgery.
BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS, CLICK HERE
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