Dr. Henry Mentz's Detailed & Customized Approach to Facelift Surgery
Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Henry Mentz's detailed and customized approach to facelift surgery will be spotlighted in a new textbook for plastic surgeons: Advanced Surgical Facial Rejuvenation, which is scheduled for release this fall. In his chapter, "Extent of SMAS Advancement in Facelift with or without Zygomaticus Major Muscle Release," Dr. Mentz discusses the most effective lifting strategies to correct laxity of the underlying soft tissues of the face.
The award-winning plastic surgeon, who is consistently named one of Houston's top plastic surgeons in local magazine polls of physicians, details the measurement method he developed to determine the most effective lifting strategies to reposition the soft tissues of the midface. Restoration of the midface poses one of the greatest challenges of facial rejuvenation. While facelifts of the past primarily involved tightening the skin to smooth wrinkles, this approach has two inherent flaws: excessive tension on the skin results in an unnatural "pulled" or "windblown" appearance, and tightening of the skin layer alone does not adequately correct the sagging underlying tissues of the skin because the skin does not function well as a supportive structure.
The incorporation of techniques to lift and tighten the the deeper tissues of the face—referred to as SMAS, or superficial musulo-aponeurotic system—allows surgeons to produce more effective, natural and long-lasting facial rejuvenation results. In the facelift chapter, Dr. Mentz describes the most advantageous SMAS flap designs for a specific set of facial contour abnormalities. By scientifically measuring the laxity of underlying tissues at various anatomical points, Dr. Mentz was able to provide a concrete method to quantify the SMAS design that produces the most effective and substantial tissue lift.
"In plastic surgery, there has been a call to show statistical evidence to see which treatment is most effective. This method allows us to prove, through quantitative measurement, which SMAS flap strategy is most effective for a patient's particular needs," said Dr. Mentz.
The method allows the surgeon to customize the amount of lift and tension that is needed to correct the laxity and sagging of each layer of the face to achieve the most effective lift while still producing a natural looking youthful appearance--the hallmark of a successful facelift procedure.
"When you see a good facelift, you don't notice it," said Dr. Mentz.
Through the years, multiple facelift strategies and techniques have evolved to improve the signs of facial aging such as a sagging midface and jowls. Dr. Mentz set out to develop a quantifiable and scientific method to determine the facelift method that will produce the most effective and natural looking rejuvenation for a patient. In his consultation with patients, the Houston surgeon accurately measures, grades, and records the amount of aging or laxity in each area of the face. Through computer imaging and the consultation process, the various methods which includes the mini facelift, MAC lift, deep layer, multilayer, and SMAS facelift, can be demonstrated on the patient's image to evaluate the best options for a patient. Dr. Mentz has consistently found that three options can be determined for each patient, and, of these, one will most effectively maximize the rejuvenating results that can be achieved. The surgeon, who has achieved consistently successful results with his innovative measurement method since 2007, introduced the technique to the Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2008.
