title: The high-superficial musculoaponeurotic system technique in facial rejuvenation: an update.
abstract: The medical charts of 267 patients who had primary high-superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) rhytidectomies were reviewed. The depth of the nasolabial fold was used as an indicator of the degree of descent of the subcutaneous cheek mass, as a guide in procedure selection, and as a method of judging the operative results. Fold depth was assigned a score of 0 to 3, with 3 being most severe. According to their preoperative fold depth, patients were operated on using one of three variants of the high-SMAS technique: sub-SMAS dissection up to the nasolabial fold, sub-SMAS dissection up to the nasolabial fold plus transnasal SMAS graft, or sub-SMAS dissection across the nasolabial fold. An independent trained observer rated the postoperative fold depth in each case from photographs taken at the 6-month follow-up visit. Of patients with fold scores of 2 or 3, 97 percent (183 of 189 patients) showed visible improvement in nasolabial crease depth after the operation.
authors.affiliation: febart@onramp.net
authors.forename: Fritz E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hunt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques; D005145:Face / Q000601:surgery*; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012060:Rejuvenation