Cheek Lift and Mid Face Lift Surgery

Before you undergo any plastic surgery procedure at Karidis Clinic, you will have a consultation and a pre-operative assessment with your plastic surgeon. They will listen carefully to your concerns and what you expect to achieve and discuss which procedure, or combination of procedures, is appropriate.

At this stage, they will also ensure you are fully aware of the potential risks and complications inherent in that specific procedure and explain to you what you can expect immediately after surgery, throughout the recovery process, and when you will likely see the final results.

During the pre-operative assessment, the surgeon may take measurements of the area to be operated on and assess your skin tissue quality and the degree of skin laxity. The position of the incisions will also be decided upon.

A full medical history will be taken to ensure you are fit and well and can undergo surgery at this time.

After the initial consultation, there will be a two-week ‘cooling-off’ period before you can decide to proceed with surgery. You are welcome to return for further consultations with your Karidis Clinic surgeon, free of charge, if you have more questions.

If you make the decision to proceed with surgery, you’ll be given advice on how best to prepare for your operation, and you will have a dedicated Patient Coordinator who can answer any queries you may have.

Any pre-surgery tests can occur at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth, a leading London private hospital where Karidis Clinic is based. The hospital has recently built a new wing including a diagnostic department with the latest X-ray, MRI, CT and ultrasound technology.

We advise patients to stop smoking as soon as possible as nicotine acts as a vasoconstrictor, which impedes the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the surgical site. This can slow down healing, increase the chance of infection and even cause tissue to die. Smoking also increases the risks of a general anaesthetic, and smokers are more likely to suffer ill effects from an anaesthetic.

You will also be advised when to discontinue taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medication in advance of your operation. You will be asked to fast six hours before surgery.

All Karidis Clinic procedures are performed at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted and taken to your stylish and luxurious private room with its spacious ensuite bathroom.

The nursing team will take your blood pressure and relevant vitals, and you will see your Karidis Clinic surgeon, who will make the final mark-ups. Our anaesthetist will also visit you.

Clinical photography will be taken to assist in your care and to enable clinical assessments to be made. These become part of your confidential medical record. These include photographs of the operation site and any distinguishing features and will be taken pre-op and post-op. 

Your procedure will be performed under a general anaesthetic, and once the surgeon has sutured the incision site, you will be taken to a specialist recovery room.

Once the hospital nursing team has ensured your recovery is complete, you will be taken to your hospital room for your overnight stay. The hospital nursing team will be on hand throughout the night, and you will be fitted with compression stockings and a compression device if required.

The following day, you will be visited by your Karidis Clinic surgeon or nurse and then discharged into the care of a friend or family member by the hospital nursing staff.

The pain and discomfort experienced after surgery are unique to the individual patient and the extent of their procedure. However, it should start to subside in the first week and should be easily managed with over-the-counter painkillers.

If necessary, you’ll be advised to wear a specially designed surgical support garment for approximately six weeks after surgery to support you during the healing process.

Depending on the nature of your job, you can usually expect to be able to return to work and normal activities between one to two weeks.

You’ll be given a comprehensive plan for the recovery process, including dates for your cast or suture removal and your check-ups with your Karidis Clinic surgeon. However, we are always on hand throughout this period, and you have access to our dedicated surgical nurse 24/7 if you have any concerns.

An alternative to a full facelift, you can have a mid-facelift alone or combined with a blepharoplasty – eyelid surgery – for optimum results. The aim of a mid-facelift is to give you a natural look that doesn’t look taught or ‘pulled’.

To restore the natural fullness and volume of your cheek area, soft fatty tissue is moved from under your eyes to a more aesthetically pleasing position. This immediately gives a more defined midface contour.

Our mid-facelift method:

✔ Uses your own tissue to rejuvenate your midface area

✔ Enhances your cheek volume while you retain a natural look

✔ Smooths and blends your lid/cheek junction area

Mr Karidis will make small incisions in the temple areas as well as inside the mouth through the underside of the upper lip. Instruments then work to lift and reposition the mid face tissues off the cheekbones through these incisions.

Cumbersome fixation sutures are eliminated at Karidis due to the use of an Endotine Mid Face Device, which is used to evenly secure the position of the tissue. This device also reduces any dimpling or skin irregularities which often occur with other sutures.

Once the Endotine Mid Face Device has been implanted, it is gradually absorbed into the body until it disappears completely. The device is preferred by Mr Karidis as an alternative to non-absorbable sutures which often become noticeable under the skin in the future.

Your suitability for mid-facelift surgery will be determined during your consultation with your surgeon. The ideal candidate for a mid-facelift is a man or woman whose face has begun to sag, but the skin still has some elasticity. Due to this criteria, mid-facelifts are often carried out on younger patients for earlier corrections, rather than waiting until irreversible changes have taken place that will necessitate a full facelift.

If your cheeks have flattened over the years and the lines from your nose down to your mouth have deepened, you’ll likely be suitable for a mid-facelift.

After mid facelift surgery, you will be returned to your private room in our clinic where you will be propped up in bed to recover. You will have a bandage around your head and cold packs placed on your face to reduce any post-operative swelling.

The swelling and bruising may take several weeks to disappear. You may also feel that the mid face area feels a bit rigid and that your mouth might feel stiff, but this should fully subside within 10-14 days.

Sleeping with your head elevated on pillows during the first night after surgery may help to decrease postoperative swelling and bruising. You can also continue to use a cold compress as this will also help to reduce any swelling.

Due to the use of the Endotine Mid Face Device in the mid facelift procedure, there will be less swelling and bruising than a standard procedure as it is less invasive than other mid facelift techniques.

Rarely, temporary muscle weakness can occur in the mid face area due to nerve trauma caused during surgery, but this will also subside.

After mid facelift surgery, you will notice that you have some scars, but these will be hidden in areas that are out of sight. There will be a very small 1-inch scar in your hairline on each temple and a small 1-inch scar inside your mouth, on the inside of your upper lip.

Mr Karidis is renowned for his ‘invisible’ scarring techniques, leaving incredibly minimal scarring from a mid facelift.

Your sutures will slowly dissolve, so you won’t have to revisit the clinic to have them removed.

Within a day or two of having mid facelift surgery, you should be up and about. You will need to:

• Be gentle with your face and hair – your skin may be a little tender
• Avoid strenuous activity for at least two weeks after surgery
• Get plenty of rest to allow for optimum healing

You won’t be able to see the full results of your mid facelift until the swelling has gone down and your facial movements may initially feel stiff. Don’t be disheartened by this – at the end of the first week you will feel much better and most patients are back at work within 10 days to 2 weeks after surgery.

If you feel self-conscious about any post-operative bruising, there are many professional-level camouflage makeup products available that are easy to apply, result in complete coverage and are water-resistant.