title: Preoperative assessment of the aging patient.
abstract: The issues related to preoperative evaluation and facial analysis for patients undergoing facial rejuvenation procedures are discussed in this article. A key component of the preoperative evaluation begins with a thorough understanding of the patient's concerns and desires for improvements. Other components of the evaluation should include a detailed assessment of the patient's medical and psychiatric history, informed consent, and photographic documentation. Additionally, we discuss facial changes associated with aging, paying special attention to some of the differences that occur between male and female patients. Different aesthetic scales and their applications in facial plastic surgery are also presented. Finally, we consider the process of facial analysis in the context of common facial plastic procedures including rhytidectomy, blepharoplasty, browlift, and minimally invasive techniques.
authors.affiliation: Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Tang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Anthony E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Brissett
mesh_terms: D019882:Blepharoplasty; D003142:Communication; D005138:Eyebrows; D005145:Face / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008603:Mental Health; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010781:Photography; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012060:Rejuvenation; D015361:Rhytidoplasty; D012737:Sex Factors; D015595:Skin Aging / Q000473:pathology*