title: [Facial surgery for rejuvenation].
abstract: Aging brings about anatomical changes that are undesirable. Senescence is consequently one of the most powerful stimuli for aesthetic surgery. The face, responsible for the myriad expressions of human experience, is constantly subject to exposure and also suffers from the perennial action of environmental factors and gravity. Frequently, the face is the main focus of anxiety in individuals who have attained a certain age, presenting skin flaccidity and loss of tone, marked lines of expression and fat deposits. Expectations of both the patient and the surgeon, regarding facial aesthetic surgery, have increased considerably over the last two decades with the advent of newer procedures and equipment. While experience allows the surgeon a better selection of techniques, at the same time he must be knowledgeable in details of different surgical approaches and variations to attain the best result for each individual case. The anatomy of the aging face should be examined carefully for a personalized treatment plan. Currently, a satisfactory result of an aesthetic facial procedure is obtained when signs of an operation are undetectable and no anatomical landmarks have been altered. The bond created between the patient and surgeon will be frustrated if there remain signs that reveal the "secret" that surgery was performed.
authors.affiliation: The Ivo Pitanguy Clinic, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. pitanguy@visualnet.com.br
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pitanguy
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery; D012060:Rejuvenation; D015361:Rhytidoplasty