title: A Comparison Between Two Methods of Face-Lift Surgery in Nine Cadavers: SMAS (Superficial Musculo-Aponeurotic System) Versus MACS (Minimal Access Cranial Suspension).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to compare the average amounts of facial skin and muscle lifting in two different face-lift methods, superficial musculo-aponeurotic system (SMAS) plication and minimal access cranial suspension (MACS), to evaluate the effectiveness of each method in facial excursion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six face-lift surgeries were performed on nine cadavers between October and December 2010. Both SMAS and MACS surgeries were done on each side of the cadaver faces. The average amounts of skin and muscle lifting up and out in three defined anatomical landmarks were compared between the two methods, SMAS plication and MACS lift procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine fresh cadavers with the mean age of 53 ± 6.7 years entered the study. Seven (77.8 %) were males and two (22.2 %) were females. The average amounts of lifting of the anatomical landmarks up and out were significantly greater in the SMAS plication method compared to the MACS lift procedure (P values <0.05), whereas facial symmetry was not significantly different between the two methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall amounts of facial skin and muscle lifting by the SMAS plication method were greater than the MACS lift procedure. However, it does not justify ignoring the benefits of the MACS lift procedure in terms of less invasiveness and quicker recovery.
  This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
authors: ENT and Head & Neck Research Center, Rasoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Shabahang
authors: S
authors: Mohammadi
authors: Aslan
authors: A
authors: Ahmadi
authors: Mohammad Mahdi
authors: MM
authors: Salem
authors: Mahdi
authors: M
authors: Safdarian
authors: Shahriar
authors: S
authors: Ilkhani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D059925:Anatomic Landmarks; D002102:Cadaver; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015361:Rhytidoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D000069259:Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System / Q000601:surgery*; D013701:Temporal Bone