All procedures carry some risk. Having your procedure done in an accredited hospital minimises your risk during facelift or neck lift surgery in Sydney. The best way to categorise risks is to divide them into the risks of having a general anaesthetic, things that can go wrong during the procedure, things that might happen in the first few weeks and things that might happen further down the track.

Generally speaking, patients undergoing elective surgery have very minimal risk, but it is a doctor’s duty to inform patients of all their material risks. When you have a facelift or neck lift operation in Sydney with Dr Gavin Sandercoe, we want to make sure that you make an informed decision. Our consent package details these risks, but the following is a quick list.

Risks of having a general anaesthetic

General anaesthesia is required by Dr Gavin Sandercoe for facelift or neck lift surgery. All patients are treated by a specialist anaesthetist to ensure that you are as safe as possible during your procedure. However, there are some risks that always accompany anaesthesia.

•    Areas of lung collapse (atelectasis) which can progress onto pneumonia
•    Clots in the legs (DVT) which can move to the lungs as a pulmonary embolism (PE)
•    Allergies
•    Awareness
•    Death (risk in Australia is about one in a million, you are at more risk driving to and from the hospital)

Things that can go wrong in the operation

Although your Specialist Plastic Surgeon in Sydney is highly skilled, there are always some risks with any surgical procedure.

•    Bleeding
•    Nerve injury, both sensory (resulting in numbness) and motor (resulting in paralysis)
•    Additional scars that were not planned can rarely be required to control bleeding 

Things that might happen in the first few weeks

Although the body’s ability to heal is nothing short of incredible, there can be some complications that take place with the healing process. If you experience any of these problems after your facelift or neck  surgery in Sydney, you’ll be asked to visit your plastic surgeon’s office, as there is effective treatment available for many of these problems.

•    Bleeding & haematoma
•    Dry or irritated eyes
•    Infection
•    Swelling or firmness
•    Palpable hardware or deeper sutures
•    Tissue death or necrosis, delayed healing requiring dressings or a revision operation
•    Sensation changes
•    Unusual scar position
•    Exposed sutures & irritation from dressings

Things that might happen long term

It’s impossible to predict exactly what the final result will be from any surgical procedure. Differences in how the body heals can change the results for some people. While most people who have a blepharoplasty or eyelid reduction surgery in Sydney are happy with the results, some people do experience problems with their final results.

•   Poor Scars
•   Facial asymmetry
•   Hair loss around the scars
•   Parotid glad disorders 
•   Softening of the neck result
•   Results not meeting your expectations or imagined results

Weighing the risks and benefits of having facelift surgery in Sydney

During your consultation to discuss your facelift or neck lift surgery in Sydney, your Specialist Plastic Surgeon will explain all of these risks, what the surgeon will do to avoid and/or treat them, and the rates at which they occur. We offer our patients two consultation appointments with Dr Gavin Sandercoe prior to surgery, in which you will have the opportunity to ask your surgeon all of your questions about having facelift or neck lift surgery in Sydney. If you have any questions about the information presented on this page, or you want more detail about how common these types of problems are, please ask your surgeon to explain further. You have the right to ask as many questions as you want and to have everything explained to your satisfaction.

Downloadable Facelift/Neck Lift Consent/Risks 2023 PDF