Sternohyoid muscles plication and sternocleidomastoid muscles rejuvenation in neck lift: a retrospective study of 1,019 consecutive patients

Abstract

Aim: Improving the cervical contour is one of the main goals of patients seeking face and neck rejuvenation. However, little attention has been dedicated to refine the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscles and to improve the inferior neck. In this study, the authors sought to describe new surgical tactics to address these issues.

Methods: The records of 1,019 patients were evaluated retrospectively. Surgical strategies to treat the neck were reviewed and two new approaches, described. Plication of the sternohyoid muscles and lateral plication of the platysma along the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscles are detailed and supplemented with a video.

Results: Of the 1,019 patients, 937 patients (91.9%) underwent subplatysmal neck lift. Three-hundred-and-forty-eight patients (34.1%) underwent sternohyoid muscles plication, and 784 patients (76.9%) had rejuvenation of the sternocleidomastoid muscles. The most common complication was weakness of the lower lip depressors [79 patients (7.7%)].

Conclusion: Approaching the sternohyoid muscles and rejuvenating the sternocleidomastoid muscles are new reliable and effective tactics to optimize results in neck lifts.

Keywords

Neck lift / face lift / sternohyoid muscle / sternocleidomastoid muscle / quilting sutures / hematoma / platysmaplasty / platysma

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