Facelifts Without Incisions: A Good Idea?
The other day, one of my patients asked me with great excitement, “Are you aware of the new facelift procedure that is done without any incisions?!”
I had to admit, this was news to me, but despite my skepticism, I agreed to look into it. She had gotten her medical information from The Doctor Show. I suspect the procedure my patient was referring to is called “iGuide” or “trampoline platysmoplasty.” I was able to watch a video of this procedure.
First, the neck is extensively liposuctioned, which is what I believe to be the major contributor to the results. Next, a dissolvable suture is passed back and forth under the neck in a manner similar to lacing up a shoe. This is not new. We have seen threads and sutures passed under the skin and used for suspension before. They all have failed, as I believe the iGuide will.
The video shows the suture being secured to the connection between the skin and the underlying fatty tissue. These sutures will pull through because the layer of fat tissue will not be able to hold the sutures. These flimsy connections are not able to support this degree of tension.
The iGuide procedure is no different than the “quick facelift” procedure and “lifestyle” procedure which are heavily advertised these days. These procedures are not based on fundamental surgical principles and are destined for early failure. It is not surprising that I could not find any information about long-term results with the iGuide procedure. When it comes to facelifts without incisions, if it is too good to be true, it usually is.
