Spacelifting: debunking the main myth - articles on plastic surgery

Mendelssohn lifting - what is it?

Mendelssohn lifting is the latest method of plastic surgery for facial rejuvenation. Literally several doctors in Russia have knowledge and experience in using this lifting method. Among them is Vladimir Naumov.

Mendelssohn lifting technology consists of using natural voids for lifting, within which the moving tissues of the face move. The most important advantage of this approach is preserving the individuality of the face. Your face looks younger without retaining the appearance of surgery (as happens with outdated methods of surgery).

“We can say that during the Mendelssohn lifting operation we again form a young facial frame, fixing the tissues exactly in those places in which they were in youth.”

Naumov Vladimir Viktorovich, plastic surgeon

Who is this genius?

The surgical technique, which has become an alternative to the classic circular facelift, is the brainchild of Australian plastic surgeon Brian Mendelson. He believes that we look older not so much because of wrinkles, but because of the age-related loss of elasticity of the skin and the structures located under it. The swollen oval of the face reveals years more than wrinkles. Mendelssohn introduced the concept of physiological space - the same “space” that gave technology its name. The spaces in the facial structure (in the area of the cheekbones, cheeks, chin) allow muscles, ligaments and skin to move freely depending on our facial movements. But over time, the tissues sag and lose their elasticity. The result is an uneven and unaesthetic facial contour. Microsurgical pinpoint work in the area of these spaces without affecting other tissues makes it possible to restore youth.

Who does space lifting?

If you are not new to the beauty industry, then you know how important it is to have a good clinic take care of your face. At the moment, spacelifting technology is available to few, and we are proud that specialists of this level work with us. Despite its apparent simplicity, space lifting requires deep knowledge and careful preparation. Therefore, the operation can only be performed by certified plastic surgeons who have undergone special training. We offer our clients reasonable prices and an attentive, professional attitude from our close-knit team of doctors.

Preparation for surgery:

The Mendelssohn lift is performed under general anesthesia, so in addition to a set of standard blood and urine tests, you need to do an ECG and obtain permission for the operation from an anesthesiologist. At the first meeting, the plastic surgeon will assess the condition of the skin, the severity of ptosis, decide which areas need correction, show where the stitches will be located and give the necessary recommendations for preparing for the intervention. If the patient wants to perform several operations at once “with one anesthesia” - for example, to correct the tip of the nose, the shape of the lips or make corrections on the body - this should also be immediately discussed with the doctor, because spacelifting can be combined with other manipulations. It is also important to inform about the medications that the patient takes on an ongoing basis - then an individual dosage regimen will be selected for him.

Advantages of the method

The operation is becoming increasingly popular due to several advantages:

carried out without significant tissue injury;
with it there is no danger of damage to nerves and blood vessels;
the risk of side effects and complications is minimal;
rehabilitation is faster, and the effect appears much earlier than after traditional intervention;
there is no severe pain during the recovery period;
can be combined with other anti-aging methods;
There is no possibility for the formation of rough postoperative scars in visible places.

Spacelifting technique:

The patient enters the clinic in the morning on an empty stomach, checks into the ward, and changes clothes. He is given preliminary markings and escorted to the operating room. The surgeon performs spacelifting through several short incisions - no more than 1-3 cm. They are needed to provide access for the endoscope. It is under the control of technology that correction is carried out in the deep layers. The incisions and, accordingly, the sutures will be located along the preauricular groove and in the postauricular fold, protruding literally 1-2 cm into the temporal region. But this area is hidden by hair, so very few people will soon understand that the patient even resorted to surgery. The inserted endoscope allows the surgeon to locally, without touching large vessels and nerves, gently tighten and fix the tissues in the position in which they were before. That is, there is a repositioning of all elements (fat packets, facial muscles), and not just the skin. They return to their original state and are no longer subject to age-related ptosis. In fact, the result is eternal. Moreover, this intervention can be combined with a forehead lift, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, facial implants or lipofilling. You can do a spacelift without waiting for obvious age-related changes and at a fairly young age. The advantage of the operation is that it is low-traumatic and preventative - it allows you to slow down aging for a long time in a minimally short rehabilitation period. And the intervention itself lasts a maximum of 3 hours in complex cases. Most often, no more than two are required.

Differences from a traditional lift

Spacelifting is a very special operation that cannot be compared even with SMAS intervention. Its main difference is low trauma. Access to the areas of the face moved during the operation is carried out using an endoscope, that is, the skin is minimally damaged. The difference between spacelifting is also the absence of an aggressive effect on the muscles and aponeurosis.

We recommend reading about peeling after biorevitalization. You will learn about the effectiveness and benefits of the combined use of two procedures, the methodology, and the results. And here is more information about what the face looks like after threads.

Rehabilitation after spacelifting:

A Mendelssohn facelift is a radical and very effective method of rejuvenation, but it does not entail long and painful rehabilitation. Immediately after the operation, the patient is put on a fixing bandage, similar to a bandage-mask, which is usually removed on the 2-3rd day after agreement with the surgeon. There is no need to install drainage tubes, as with classic braces. On the first day, it is better to be under the supervision of the clinic staff, then you can go home. Patients do not report significant pain or swelling after spacelifting. Slight swelling of the cheeks and neck, minor hematomas disappear approximately on the 5th day. In general, you can return to work life within 10 days after the operation. By this time, all stitches are usually removed. In the first 7-10 days, it is recommended to limit facial movements and sleep on a higher pillow than before, and - very important - on your back. This will prevent swelling, stress on the stitches and pain. It is also better to exclude mechanical and thermal effects on the face for about a month: massages, baths, aggressive cosmetic procedures and limit intense physical activity.

Questions and answers on Mendelssohn lifting to V.V. Naumov:

1) Is it true that surgeons do not accept patients with a history of thermage (sometimes thermolifting) procedures for a facelift?

The thermal lifting done actually greatly complicates the operation. Face lifting becomes almost impossible: the very spaces that I spoke about are practically absent after Thermage, the tissues are welded together. Deep SMAS lifting is most often possible, but the operation is longer and more complex.

2) Is it possible to do a surgical lift after filler injections?

It depends on the fillers. Fillers based on hyaluronic acid are not a hindrance to surgery.

3) Is thread lifting a hindrance to surgery?

No, the installation of threads does not interfere with any surgical lifting. Scar tissue will form around the absorbable sutures, but not enough to interfere with the lift. The surgeon removes the threads that are present in the skin.

4) Is it possible to have surgery if Radies has been injected into the facial tissue?

Together with a specialist, I always do an ultrasound of the facial tissues to assess the location of the drug, after which a decision is made to perform surgery. The drug calcifies tissues, because This is hydroxyapatite and detachment of facial tissue becomes impossible!

Possible complications

Spacelifting rarely causes new problems that require additional measures. However, complications cannot be completely excluded. Among the possible:

hematomas;
bleeding;
development of inflammation in the operated area of the face;
change in the sensitivity of its surface;
pronounced and long-lasting swelling.

Problems are likely due to the surgeon’s mistakes, unidentified characteristics of the patient’s body, and neglect of rehabilitation rules.

Execution method

The spacelifting operation consists of several stages:

markings are made on the face;
the patient is given intravenous anesthesia;
the skin is disinfected;
A short incision is made with a scalpel in the area of the auricle;
An endoscope is inserted into the space, which helps to see the areas to be lifted;
“spaces” move in the desired direction and are fixed;
the edges of the wound are sutured and a bandage is applied on top.

The whole process lasts 2 - 3 hours. The length of the operation depends on its scale.

To learn how facial space lifting is performed and the results after surgery, watch this video:

Contraindications

Like all plastic surgeries, spacelifting has a number of contraindications:

Infectious diseases (HIV, hepatitis, syphilis).
Psychical deviations.
Diabetes.
Inflammatory lesions of the skin.
Hemophilia (blood disease).
Cardiovascular pathologies.
Arterial hypertension.
Menstrual period.
Chronic diseases in the relapse stage.

As with other medications, botulinum toxin (Botox) injections can cause complications or a number of side effects.

Of course, one should not assume that such undesirable circumstances occur in half of patients. Moreover, in most cases the human body reacts to the drug completely normally. Popularity has played a cruel joke on Botox. Some salons, in pursuit of profit, treat the procedure irresponsibly. However, a negative review of Botox is not only due to a doctor’s mistake.

Combination with other procedures

Sometimes, even before the operation, it is clear that space lifting alone will not help make your face the way you would like. In these cases, it is combined with blepharoplasty, forehead lift, and lip manipulation. A combination of surgery and hardware cosmetic procedures is possible: laser fractional thermolysis, peelings.

Spacelifting is a new method of rejuvenation, but with more than once proven effectiveness. When planning an operation, it is important to consult a doctor who really knows how to do it. Then there is no doubt about the result, designed for 10 years or more.