Is A Deep Plane Facelift Dangerous?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have read that many plastic surgeon believe the deep plane facelifts are extremely dangerous due to the plane being manipulated is the location of so many delicate facial nerves. Those who perform deep plane facelifts speak highly of it and criticize limitations of the traditional SMAS-adjacent facelifts. This can be a conflict of interest since a doctor will naturally only speak highly of what he/she performs.

A: The real questions about the deep place facelift is not whether it is dangerous or has a higher rate of complications, although it does have some increased risks, are patient selection, risks vs benefit analysis and where does it fit into the facial rejuvenation surgery armamentarium. It is always important to remember that facelift surgery is elective aesthetic surgery and in a highly competitive market driven now by online patient research marketing and promotional information frequently gets way ahead of the proven science of a procedure. Also, there is no standard as to what a deep plane facelift really is. In short is a deep place facelift better and is it worth the increased risk and costs? That answer will vary per patient based on the anatomy and degree of facial aging as well as how much ‘effort’ that are willing to invest in the improvement.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon