Liposuction and surgical recontouring of the neck: A retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND. With the advent of tumescent liposuction, many advances in cosm etic surgery have occurred. Liposuction of excess adipose tissue from the s ubmental area, jowls, and neck, along with cold steel surgery, has become a n attractive alternative to the facelift for cervicomental aesthetic surger y. OBJECTIVE. To describe new techniques for tumescent neck liposuction, platy sma repair, and subcutaneous musculoaponeurotic system plication, evaluate results, and assess complications with the procedures. METHODS. We reviewed the results of the last 35 patients who underwent neck liposuction, simultaneous platysma plication, subdermal CO2 laser resurfac ing, and/or subcutaneous musculoaponeurotic system plication at our institu tion. RESULTS. Three of 35 patients (9%) experienced mild complications from the procedure. Two of the three complications (66%) were in patients who underw ent subdermal and/or platysma laser resurfacing at the time of liposuction. Good to excellent results were achieved in 91% of patients and fair to goo d results were achieved in 9%. No major complications such as nerve injury occurred. CONCLUSION. Neck liposuction can be a safe method for facial rejuvenation w hen performed properly. Platysma repair, and in some cases subcutaneous mus culoaponeurotic system plication, can further improve results when combined with the liposuction procedure.