Midface effects of the deep-plane vs the superficial musculoaponeurotic system plication face-lift.

[OBJECTIVE] To determine if there is any observable difference in the midface of patients who have undergone a deep-plane face-lift vs a standard superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) plication face-lift.

[DESIGN] Preoperative and postoperative photographs of 25 patients undergoing each type of face-lift were rated by 3 independent and blinded observers. A 7-point scale was used to grade improvement in 5 areas on the face and neck: malar eminence, melolabial fold, jowls, cervicomental angle, and anterior neck banding.

[RESULTS] All 3 independent observers rated the patients who underwent a deep-plane face-lift as having a significantly better result (P<.01) in 2 of the measured locations; the observed improvements in the deep-plane group were twice those in the SMAS plication group.

[CONCLUSION] In our study of 50 patients, the deep-plane face-lift proved to have results that were clinically and statistically better than those of the SMASapplication face-lift in both the midface and the neck.