Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions Dr. Sadati in Newport Beach receives from his patients regarding facelifts, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery and fat grafting.
FACELIFT
A facelift is a cosmetic surgical procedure that involves tightening and lifting the muscles and tissues under the skin to reduce wrinkles and restore a youthful and rejuvenated appearance.
HOW IS A FACELIFT PERFORMED?
During a traditional facelift procedure, Dr. Sadati will make a precise incision near the ears. From there, he will reposition the underlying tissue and lift the muscles to their original, elevated position. He will then replace the skin over the uplifted contours and expertly close the incisions to minimize scarring.
IS THERE SCARRING INVOLVED?
Although minimal scarring is involved, Dr. Sadati ensures the incisions are well hidden in the hairline and behind the ear. Given his technical expertise and meticulous surgical skills, the scar resulting from one of Dr. Sadati’s facelifts will be virtually imperceptible in most patients once fully healed.
WHAT IS RECOVERY LIKE?
Immediately following a traditional facelift procedure, the head and face will be bandaged to reduce swelling and bruising. During this time, temporary postoperative swelling, numbness and skin discoloration are to be expected, and should subside within two weeks. In the meantime, Dr. Sadati will prescribe you pain medication to ensure you are as comfortable as possible as you heal. The stitches will be removed approximately five days after the procedure, and patients can typically return to work within two weeks.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
Although facelift surgery is considered extremely safe, there is a slight risk for complications. These include injury to the nerves that control the facial muscles, skin discoloration and numbness or tingling around the incision areas – all of which are usually temporary.
RHINOPLASTY
A frequent source of dissatisfaction, the nose can display a variety of imperfections. Rhinoplasty is a cosmetic procedure that minutely corrects and reshapes the nose with utter precision to achieve a natural-looking and fully functional result.
HOW IS RHINOPLASTY PERFORMED?
There are two primary techniques Dr. Sadati may employ for your rhinoplasty. He will either used a closed procedure, where the incision is concealed inside the nasal structure, or an open procedure, where the incision is made on the strip of tissue separating the nostrils. Through these incisions, Dr. Sadati will sculpt and reshape the structure of the nose to achieve the desired shape. He will then replace the nasal skin and tissue, and expertly close the incisions to reduce scarring.
IS THERE SCARRING INVOLVED?
A closed rhinoplasty procedure results in no visible scarring, as the incisions are hidden on the inside of the nose. An open rhinoplasty procedure results in a very slight scar that is well concealed on the underside of the nose. Given his technical expertise and meticulous surgical skills, the scar resulting from one of Dr. Sadati’s rhinoplasty procedures will be virtually imperceptible in most patients once fully healed.
WHAT IS RECOVERY LIKE?
During the initial week following the rhinoplasty procedure, the nose will be covered with a protective cast. Some mild bruising around the eyes and internal nasal swelling is to be expected, and should subside within one week. During the initial recovery period, Dr. Sadati will advise you to elevate your head, avoid strenuous activity and apply ice to alleviate swelling. In most cases, patients can return to work within one week following a rhinoplasty procedure.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
When performed by a qualified facial plastic and reconstructive specialist, like Dr. Sadati, rhinoplasty is a safe procedure with a very slight risk of complications. In some cases, patients may experience asymmetry of the nose, burst blood vessels, nasal bleeding or infection—however they are usually temporary.
EYELID SURGERY
Double eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, is a delicate procedure that involves removing excess skin, fat and tissue from the upper and lower eyelids to achieve a more youthful and refreshed appearance.
HOW IS EYELID SURGERY PERFORMED?
During the procedure, Dr. Sadati will make a precise incision in the crease of the upper eyelid, along the lower lash line, or inside the surface of the eyelid. Once the incision has been made, he will expertly separate the skin from the underlying muscle to trim or remove excess skin, fat and tissue. He then closes the incisions with very fine sutures to minimize scarring.
IS THERE SCARRING INVOLVED?
Although minimal scarring is involved, Dr. Sadati ensures the incisions are well hidden in the natural creases and contours of the eye. Over time, the remaining scar will gradually fade.
WHAT IS RECOVERY LIKE?
The immediate recovery period lasts approximately one week and is marked by some swelling, bruising, pain and discomfort. Although all of these symptoms will subside within a few days, Dr. Sadati will prescribe pain medication to ensure your comfort. During this time, you will be advised to avoid activities that strain the eyes. Three to five days following surgery, Dr. Sadati will remove the stitches at your post-operative appointment.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
Minor complications of eyelid surgery include temporary blurry vision, swelling and tiny white pimples around the eyes. There is also a slight chance that the eyes heal at different rates, resulting in a temporary asymmetrical appearance. More serious complications include long lasting asymmetry and difficulty closing the eyes, although these risks are very slight among experienced facial plastic and reconstructive specialists, like Dr. Sadati.
Fat Grafting
Fat grafting is a cosmetic procedure where your own fat is used to rejuvenate the face, augment the cheeks or lips, or correct hollowness around the eyes or deep laugh lines. Many people lose facial fat as they age and develop a hollow or gaunt look. Fat grafting can be used to correct this and give a younger, more refreshed look. Fat grafting is also referred to as free fat transfer.
At what age can fat grafting be performed?
Fat grafting can be performed at any age to help correct to increase volume in cheek, chin, and lips or fix facial asymmetry. For lip or cheek augmentation, it is usually done anywhere from age 20 up. It is often done on people in their 40s and older for correcting the hollowness that can come with age.
How is fat grafting performed?
The fat used in fat grafting is taken from elsewhere in your body. This can be done in a liposuction procedure, but a small amount of fat can be taken from the abdomen or elsewhere can be removed and used. This fat is treated to concentrate viable and whole fat cells, which are then carefully reimplanted in the treatment area. The reimplantation is done by injection or using other techniques. This is a simple in-office procedure in most cases and done under local anesthesia.
Are fat grafting results long lasting?
It depends. There are many factors involved in how long fat grafting lasts and it appears to be surgeon- dependent. Some surgeons are able to get 50% of the grafted fat to last, but others get up to 90%! There are still some surgeons and patients that express their disappointment with fat grafting, because they feel it can be unpredictable or temporary.
Remember that having a successful fat grafting result depends on how delicately it is removed from one area, how well it is inserted into the desired area, as well as having proper nutrients to survive. A simple analogy: if you extract a plant from one side of your yard and then plant it in a new area, without the proper soil or fertilizer, the chances for this plant to survive is 50% at best. However, if you give the same plant proper irrigation and fertilization, it would have an 80 to 90% better chance of survival.
Similarly, in fat grafting if you just take fat from one spot and graft it in another site, the survival rate of that fat is at about 50%.
From extensive research, we have learned that if surgeon mix fat with the patient’s own platelets prior to grafting, it will provide sufficient growth factors and nutrients, then the fat cell have a better chance to survive. Therefore, it will become a long lasting filler.
Where the Platelets come from? At the time of the procedure, a small amount of the patient’s blood is drawn and centrifuged to isolate platelets. These platelets are enriched with a group of natural growth factors and healing products that help the fat cells survive.
