Ocean Clinic Facelift Study Published in Top Scientific Journal

Research carried out by plastic surgeons from Ocean Clinic Marbella around new facelift techniques has been published in JPRAS, a highly respected scientific journal.

The study, entitled “The Liquid Facelift” looked at how water jet-assisted liposuction could be applied to the face - this technique had only previously been used on the body.

Head Surgeon Dr. Kai Kaye worked together with Dr. Sonja Kästner and Plastic Surgery Resident Dr. Felix Paprottka on the research project, which involved 25 patients.

They utilised water jet-assisted liposuction (WAL) to enhance three aspects of the facelift surgery they carried out:

• WAL was used to help separate facial skin from the underlying soft tissue in order that it could be pulled taught and reattached. Using water is gentler than alternative methods and keeps surrounding vessels and nerves largely intact.
• WAL was used to harvest fat from other areas of the body to be transferred to the face. This method prevents fat cells rupturing during collection and provides better quality fat for transplantation.
• WAL was used to contour the face, removing excess fat from areas such as the eyes and chin. Gentle removal of facial fat aids better healing, reducing postoperative bruising and swelling.

The Results

To assess the success of the WAL techniques, patients were observed by two independent surgeons and also asked to rate their own satisfaction levels. The patients, who had a median age of 56 years, were graded over a one-week follow-up period for the following criteria:

• Discomfort during the procedure - no discomfort was experienced by patients, who were treated under intravenous sedation.
• Intraoperative bleeding - no bleeding was observed during the procedure
• Postoperative swelling and bruising - only minor swelling and bruising was present after the procedure.
• Skin necrosis - no skin death was detected post surgery.
• Requirement for revision surgery - none of the patients had to be operated on again.

In the patient survey, performed to analyse their perception of the esthetic results, respondents indicated a high satisfaction rate.

Dr. Kaye says: “We are delighted with the results of this study. The use of the WAL technique has been proven to offer a number of benefits for facelift patients. Going forward, we will be applying WAL in all our facelift surgeries, delivering Ocean Clinic patients superior results.

“However, myself and the team hope that this technique will also be adopted by other plastic surgeons. We believe knowledge-sharing among peers is vitally important, which is why we sought to have the study published, and will also present the techniques at a number of medical conferences, including our own MIPSS congress in June.”

Visit our website for more information about facelift surgery at Ocean Clinic Marbella or call 951 775 518 to book a consultation.