Complete Neck Lift Sydney

Complete Neck Lift

A complete neck lift is the more comprehensive of the two neck procedures Dr Maryam offers. It is intended for necks with a meaningful amount of loose skin alongside laxity of the platysma muscle, where tightening the muscle alone would not be enough. The surgery redrapes the skin, removes the excess, and tightens the platysma through platysmaplasty.

It addresses several changes at once: vertical neck bands, a blunted angle between the chin and neck, sagging skin below the jawline, and fat sitting above or beneath the platysma. Where the changes carry up into the cheeks and jowls, a complete neck lift is commonly performed together with a facelift, since the two share incisions and treat a continuous anatomical area.

Because it is more invasive than a minimally invasive approach such as MyEllevate, it involves longer surgery, visible incisions and a longer recovery. In return, it is the option able to deal with genuine skin excess. Dr Maryam Seyedabadi, Specialist Plastic Surgeon, MBBS FRACS, will tell you plainly whether your neck needs this or whether a lesser procedure is reasonable.

Who it may suit

• You have a definite amount of loose, hanging skin in the neck rather than mild laxity.
• Visible platysmal bands are present at rest or when you move your neck.
• The angle between your chin and neck has been lost and the jawline is indistinct.
• Non-surgical treatment or a minimally invasive procedure would not address the skin excess.
• You are also considering a facelift, or facial ageing extends beyond the neck.
• You are in reasonable general health, and a non-smoker or willing to stop well before and after surgery.

What a complete neck lift involves

A complete neck lift is performed under general anaesthetic in hospital. Theatre time depends on the extent of the work and whether it is combined with facial surgery.

1. Incisions are made under the chin and around and behind the ears, placed in natural creases and the hairline where possible.
2. Fat is reduced by liposuction or direct excision, above and where needed beneath the platysma muscle.
3. The platysma is tightened and its edges brought together in the midline, a platysmaplasty, to soften vertical bands and rebuild the neck angle.
4. Skin is redraped without tension, the excess is trimmed, and the incisions are closed in layers. Drains and a supportive dressing or chin strap may be used.

Recovery

Recovery varies between patients and with the extent of the surgery. An overnight stay is sometimes required.

• Swelling and bruising are most noticeable in the first one to two weeks and oedema can take a few months to settle fully.
• A supportive garment is usually worn for a period during the early weeks.
• Tightness, firmness under the chin, and numbness of the neck and earlobes are common and generally improve over weeks to months.
• Most people plan around two weeks away from work and social commitments.
• Strenuous exercise and heavy lifting are usually avoided for about four to six weeks, and scars mature over roughly twelve to eighteen months.

Risks and considerations

Risks include bleeding and haematoma, which may require a return to theatre, infection, seroma, delayed wound healing and skin loss with markedly higher risk in smokers, injury to nerve branches causing weakness of the lower lip or altered neck sensation, contour irregularity, asymmetry, visible or widened scars, hair loss near incisions, and anaesthetic risks including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

Results are not permanent, and ageing and skin laxity continue afterwards. Deeper anatomy such as prominent submandibular glands, a low hyoid position or muscle bulk can limit how defined the neck angle becomes, regardless of technique. Some patients need revision surgery, and further procedures are not necessarily covered by the original fee.

Your consultation with Dr Maryam

In Australia a referral from a registered medical practitioner is required before cosmetic surgery, and a GP referral is preferred so your overall health is reviewed. A cooling-off period of at least seven days applies between your consultation and booking, extending to three months for patients under 18, with an additional assessment by an appropriate registered health practitioner.

Dr Maryam Seyedabadi, MBBS FRACS, AHPRA registration MED0001341746, consults at 2c Heeley Street, Paddington NSW 2021 and performs neck lift surgery at St Luke’s Hospital in Potts Point, East Sydney Private Hospital and other accredited Sydney facilities. At consultation she assesses your skin, muscle and deeper neck anatomy, discusses the risks listed above, the alternatives including MyEllevate, a facelift or no surgery, and what she considers the surgery can and cannot change. Written fee estimates follow your consultation. Call 1300 067 668 to arrange an appointment.