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BACKGROUND:Facelifting is one of the most common operative procedures for facial aging and perhaps the procedure most synonymous with plastic surgery in the mind of the lay public, but no verifiable documentation of patient satisfaction exists in the literature. This study is the first to examine facelift outcomes and patient satisfaction using a validated questionnaire.
METHODS:105 patients undergoing a facelift performed by the senior author (CHT) using a high, extended-SMAS with submental platysma approximation technique were asked to complete anonymously the FACE-Q by email. FACE-Q scores were assessed for each domain (range 0 - 100), with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction with appearance or superior quality of life.
RESULTS:53 patients completed the FACE-Q (50.5% response rate). Patients demonstrated high satisfaction with facial appearance (mean 80.7, SD 22.3), and quality of life, including social confidence (mean 90.4, SD 16.6), psychological well-being (mean 92.8, SD 14.3), and early life impact (mean 92.2, SD 16.4). Patients also reported extremely high satisfaction with their decision to undergo facelifting (mean 90.5, SD 15.9). On average, patients felt they looked 6.9 years younger than their actual age. Patients were most satisfied with the appearance of their nasolabial folds (mean 86.2, SD 18.5), cheeks (mean 86.1, SD 25.4), and lower face/jawline (mean 86.0, SD 20.6), compared to their necks (mean 78.1, SD 25.6) and area under the chin (mean 67.9, SD 32.3).
CONCLUSIONS:Patients who responded in this study were extremely satisfied with their decision to undergo facelifting and the outcomes and quality of life following the procedure.