We already know that one of the disadvantages of a facelift is the fact that it can cause surgical complications. A nonsurgical facelift in our office doesn’t involve surgery, so it doesn’t have these risks. But reliable statistics on facelift complications are hard to find.
That’s why it’s good to see a new study on this question. The study found that a significant number of people who got facelift surgery had to return to the surgical center, go to the emergency department, or check in to a hospital due to complications.
Complications Requiring Outside Care
For this study, researchers looked at a sample of more than 6000 facelift surgeries performed at ambulatory surgical centers in New York, Florida, Iowa, and California. The average age for patients was 61.1 years, with nearly three-quarters of patients (73%) between the ages of 51 and 70. They looked at people who had complications within 30 days of surgery that required them to seek care at some place other than their doctor’s office.
Researchers found that about 3.6% of facelift patients needed to seek outside care for complications. These patients ought care at an ambulatory surgery center (42%) an emergency department (42%), or inpatient admission at a hospital (15%). For these people, the most common complications were hematoma (17%), fever/nausea/diarrhea (4.1%), and urinary tract infection (4.1%).
Additional Costs
Researchers admit that their sample doesn’t capture the full rate of complications for a facelift procedure. It doesn’t reflect complications like nerve injury, scarring, and unattractive cosmetic results, which may not be visible within the 30-day period covered by the study. It also doesn’t reflect the numerous complications that people may deal directly with their doctor to handle, which is likely to be the majority of complications.
However, researchers defended their decision to focus on these complications because these complications are the ones that are likely to result in additional, unplanned medical costs. While a doctor may respond to some complications without significant charges, visiting a hospital, emergency department, or surgery center is going to come with additional costs that weren’t accounted for in the initial surgical plan.
Avoid Surgical Complications
If you are looking to rejuvenate your appearance but don’t like the thought of surgical complications, we offer an alternative.
With a nonsurgical facelift, you not only reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve the definition of your chin, and diminish jowls and turkey neck, you also beautify your smile. This can also make your mouth healthier, which can have additional health benefits, too.
To learn more about the benefits of a nonsurgical facelift in the Hilton Head area, please call (843) 706-2999 today for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at The Durham Office in Bluffton.
