Farhan Taghizadeh, Amber R Howard, Alicia Lebowitz, Patrick Ramirez and Brittney Garcia
Background: As face lifts have become more popular with time, there has also been growing interest to find a technique that is less abrasive than the original. Research found the layer that needed to be targeted was the Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System (SMAS). The difficulty then became discovering a technique that only affected the SMAS, and not any of the surrounding tissue. Methods: This study included 13 patients, who had prior deep-SMAS rhytidectomies at least 5 months prior and desired further maintenance. The Five Plus Ulthera protocol was used. Pictures were obtained prior to the treatment, one week and five months after treatment. All photos were reviewed by an independent board of plastic surgeons on the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale. Each patient completed a survey based on pain and comfort levels 24 hours, one week, one month, and five months post treatment. Results: There are 11 women and 2 men participating in the study with ages ranging from 54-75. Over all three intervals the GAIS average score was 3.44, the comfort level increased and the pain assessment decreased. At 24 hours after treatment, two patients said they would not recommend or receive the treatment again however, by one week and 30 days there were no longer any patients that would not recommend or receive the treatment again. Instead there were four that would recommend and repeat the treatment, three that would repeat the procedure but not recommend it and three that were unsure of either. Discussion: One of the most prominent issues with facelift is the maintenance of the integrity of the facelift over time. Desire has also increased for a non-invasive procedure that has positive, noticeable results in reducing rhytids and increasing elasticity. The study focused on DeepSEE ultrasound technology as being a viable Powered by Editorial Manager® and Production Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation option to fulfill these needs.