RHYTIDECTOMY

Course overview

FACIAL AGING IS DUE TO THE GRAVITATIONAL EFFECT ON SOFT TISSUES, THE WEAKENING OF SUSPENSORY LIGAMENTS, AND SKIN LAXITY, LIPOATROPHY, AND BONY RESORPTION. THIS PROCESS RESULTS IN THE CLASSIC APPEARANCE OF HOLLOWING IN THE TEMPORAL, INFRACOMISSURAL, PRE-JOWL, AND CHEEK AREAS. RHYTIDECTOMY IS PERFORMED TO REJUVENATE THE FACE, SPECIFICALLY BY RESUSPENDING PTOTIC SOFT TISSUES IN ORDER TO ALLEVIATE CLASSIC SIGNS OF AGING: DEEP NASOLABIAL FOLDS, JOWLS, AND PLATYSMAL BANDS. AN OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF RHYTIDECTOMY, SOME SURGICAL APPROACHES, AND POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS ARE DISCUSSED. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE RHYTIDECTOMY PROCEDURE AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING THE AGING FACE.