Most midface lifts are performed in an operating theatre for the sake of sterility and your comfort.

As midface lifts are often performed in combination with other procedures, most patients receive general anesthesia.

There will be permanent sutures in the temples (these are removed between 2 and 4 weeks after surgery) and dissolving sutures on the outer corner of your lower eyelids: these dissolve in about seven to fourteen days. These dissolving sutures may become itchy as they begin to dissolve and it is fine to gently scratch the incision line.. The prescribed ointment will also help with the itching, as will oral Benadryl (over-the-counter). ​

We use a number of tools, including lasers to give our patients the best possible results. Laser resurfacing, when performed in combination with a cheek lift procedure gives a nice improvement in the skin texture, wrinkles and colour. ​

Most midface lift procedures take 60 to 90 minutes operating time.

Everyone gets bruising and swelling after cheek lifts! Care is taken during surgery to reduce the degree of bruising our patients get. We will also show you how to apply ice to the cheeks after surgery to reduce the swelling and bruising. The worst of the bruising and swelling is over within a week. However, some residual bruising and swelling can take another few days to disappear. Also, the use of the laser leaves the skin rather pink for the first week, after which the pinkness fades slowly. I always remind patients that “it takes us 20, 30, 40 years to age, so a few weeks of proper healing is not surprising.”

Cosmetic surgical procedures are never covered by insurance. ​

There will be a sensation of tightness on the outer corner of the lower eyelids for the first couple of weeks. Numbness and a little stiffness of the lower eyelids and cheeks is also to be expected. The lower eyelids and cheeks will feel somewhat tight for a few weeks: this is to be expected in the immediate postoperative period and does settle. Only moderate pain is experienced by our patients. Most of my patients tell me they just need Tylenol or extra-strength Tylenol after surgery. And even that, just for the first one to two days. ​

Most patients need to sleep with two to three pillows for the first two or three nights. This helps reduce the swelling more quickly. You may be up-and-about  

the very day of the surgery, albeit with some degree of blurry vision because of the healing eyelids. Gentle exercise(brisk walk on a treadmill or gentle cycling) may be resumed within two days. More vigorous exercise like skiing, tennis, etc may be resumed after 10 days. Driving may be difficult for the first two to three days because of blurry vision. Most patients return to work within a week. ​

Bruising, swelling and blurry vision are not risks: they occur in every patient. Some degree of asymmetry is inevitable as this is always the case prior to surgery as well. Some degree of bleeding and oozing of blood-stained fluid for the first few days is also normal.. 
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In the first few days, everyone will experience some degree of dryness and blurry vision. You will also feel that your lids look a little tight on the outer corner where you will also feel some of the deeper sutures if you put your finger there: this is of no concern. The tightness and the bumps under the skin settle over a few weeks. 
More serious complications which are very rare include excessive bleeding, and persistent numbness over the cheeks. ​