What it means for a patient
- A neck lift that tightens the muscle at the front of the neck under the chin may give a better result than tightening from the sides alone.
- If your neck is heavy, fat beneath the neck muscle may need to be removed.
- A smaller procedure through an incision under the chin may suit patients not ready for a full lift.
- The authors state that the lasting effect of these steps was not yet proven and needed long-term follow-up.
Why this paper matters
It gave surgeons visual criteria for a youthful neck and argued for front-of-neck platysma work and removal of fat under the platysma.
Overview
The authors proposed visual criteria for achieving and judging success in a platysma neck lift. They give their view on which steps meet these criteria, including in patients with a low-lying hyoid bone. The abstract does not list the criteria themselves or give patient numbers.
Findings
- The authors state the criteria can now be met in most patients, even those with a low-lying hyoid.
- Front (anterior) adjustment of the platysma matters more than back (posterior) adjustment or back closure alone.
- In a heavy neck, a fat pocket under the platysma must be removed if present.
- For patients not yet candidates for a full upward lift, a submental incision with more extensive fat removal and a platysma sling (submental neck lift) helps.
- Cutting the platysma, making a sling and removing fat may add to how long the lift lasts, but only long-term follow-up can confirm this.
- The abstract reports no patient numbers or rates.
Terms
- Platysma: the thin muscle over the front of the neck.
- Cervical lift: a neck lift.
- Hyoid: a small U-shaped bone high in the front of the neck.
- Submental: the area under the chin.
- Lipectomy: surgical removal of fat.
- Platysma sling: a strip of platysma muscle tightened under the chin to support the neck.
- Subplatysmal fat: fat beneath the platysma muscle.