Facial cosmetic surgeons at University of Miami Health System have years of training and experience in their field. Because cosmetic surgery is such a personal and intimate choice, our doctors make it a point to personally get to know you and spend time listening and guiding you through the process — from initial visit through post-operative care.

Our surgeons will discuss a variety of available options and outcomes during several personal consultations and, together, you and your doctor will decide on the best procedure for your personal needs and goals. We are experienced in helping to correct cosmetic and functional nasal deformities, as well as a variety of other cosmetic issues and conditions that affect your ability to smell, taste, and see.

Treatments

Botox and Facial Fillers
A variety of injectable facial fillers are now available to diminish wrinkles and to give your skin and overall facial appearance a healthier, more youthful look. These injectable fillers can improve and, in some cases, completely eradicate wrinkles and deep facial lines.

Ear Surgery
Ear surgery – or otoplasty – is usually done to set prominent ears back closer to the head or to reduce the size of large ears.

Eyelid Surgery
As people age, the eyelid skin stretches, muscles weaken, and fat accumulates around the eyes causing “bags” above and below. Eyelid surgery can take years off your appearance by removing fat from the upper and lower eyelids. This procedure corrects drooping upper lids and puffy bags below the eyes – features that make a person look older and tired.

Facelift
Some of the first signs of aging occur on the face. While changes may occur gradually, there may come a time when you look in the mirror and you aren't as happy with your facial appearance as you used to be. A facelift can help restore a youthful appearance. A facelift smooths the loose skin on the face and neck, tightens underlying tissues, and removes excess fat. As a result, the face will appear firmer and fresher.

Forehead Lift or Brow Lift
Some of the most visible signs of aging are drooping eyebrows, “hooding” over the eyes, forehead furrows, and frown lines. In a brow lift – also known as a forehead lift – the muscles and skin that cause the problems are altered or removed to smooth the forehead, raise the upper eyelids, and minimize frown lines. The lift is a relatively simple procedure with results lasting from five to 10 years or longer. It is usually an outpatient procedure and can be done alone or in conjunction with other procedures, such as facelift, eyelid surgery, or nose reshaping.

Liposuction of Face and Neck
Suction-assisted lipectomy – or liposuction – is a technique to remove unwanted fat deposits from certain areas of the body, including the chin, jaw, neck, and cheeks.

Neck Lift
With time, the skin on our necks tends to lose some elasticity, adding years to our appearance. A neck lift will reshape and tighten the neck to give it the appearance of length and elegance. Restoring the graceful line of the neck can provide a younger, more toned look while helping you feel better about yourself.

Nose and Nasal Tip Surgery
Nose surgery – or rhinoplasty – is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures. Rhinoplasty can reduce or increase the size of the nose, change the shape of the tip or bridge, narrow the span of the nostrils, or change the angle between the nose and upper lip. This procedure can also correct a birth defect or injury, or help relieve some breathing problems.

Who is a Candidate?

If you are seeking to improve the look of your face and regain a more youthful look, consider speaking with one of our expert plastic surgeons about facial plastic surgery options. We provide the following guidelines for certain procedures:

Ear Surgery
Usually, ear surgery is done on children between the ages of 4 and 14. Ear surgery on adults is also possible, and there are generally no additional risks associated with ear surgery on an older patient.

Eyelid Surgery
Most patients who have eyelid surgery are 35 or older, but if droopy, baggy eyelids are a genetic family trait, you may decide to have the procedure at a younger age.

Facelift
Facelifts are most commonly performed on patients in their 40s through 60s. However, patients in their 70s and 80s can also benefit from the procedure.

Signs include:

• A deep line running from the corner of your nose to the corner of your mouth
• Deep wrinkles in your cheeks and sagging skin near your cheekbones
• Loose skin, wrinkles, or excess fatty tissue in your neck
• Loss of a well-defined jawline

Forehead or Brow Lift
Men and women of any age may be good candidates for a forehead lift. While the procedure is most commonly performed on people in their 40s through 60s to slow the visible effects of aging, it can also help people with inherited conditions, such as droopy brow or furrowed lines above the nose. To see how a forehead lift might improve one’s appearance, look into a mirror and place the palms of the hands at the outer edges of the eyes above the eyebrows. Then gently draw the skin upward to raise the brow and forehead area. This is generally what a brow lift would do.

Liposuction of the Face and Neck
The best candidates for liposuction are of relatively normal weight but have pockets of excess fat in specific areas. Suction lipectomy (procedure in which fat cells are removed through small incisions using a suction) is not recommended if you have had recent surgery on the spot to be sculpted or if you have poor blood circulation in the areas to be treated. Those who have heart or lung disease are also not good candidates for this procedure.

Nose and Nasal Tip Surgery
Men and women in good physical health are potential candidates for the procedure. Many surgeons prefer not to operate on teenagers until after they’ve completed their growth spurt — around 14 or 15 for girls and a little older for boys.

What to Expect

Botox and Facial Fillers
Our doctors are experts in all FDA-approved products, and can advise you on which product might be most helpful for you. Visit the manufacturer websites for more information:

• BOTOX Cosmetic
• Radiesse
• Restylane

Ear Surgery
Ear surgery usually takes about two to three hours, although complicated procedures may take longer. In a standard procedure, your surgeon makes a small incision in the back of the ear to expose the ear cartilage. The surgeon will then sculpt the cartilage and bend it back toward your head.

Another technique involves a similar incision in the back of the ear. Skin is removed and stitches are used to fold the cartilage back on itself to reshape the ear without removing cartilage. Ear surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure (you'll return home that same day), but occasionally the doctor may recommend it be done on an inpatient basis. In this case, the hospital stay is usually only overnight.

Eyelid Surgery
Eyelid surgery is usually done on an outpatient basis (you'll return home that same day) and generally takes one to three hours. In a typical procedure, the surgeon makes incisions following the natural lines of your eyelids — in the creases of your upper lids and just below the lashes in the lower lids. The incisions may extend into the crow’s feet (laugh lines) at the outer corners of your eyes. Working through these incisions, the surgeon separates the skin frojavascript:void(0);m underlying fatty tissue and muscle, removes excess fat, and often trims sagging skin and muscle. The incisions are then closed with very fine stitches, leaving nearly invisible scars.

If you have a pocket of fat beneath your lower eyelids but don’t need to have any skin removed, your surgeon may perform what's called a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. In this procedure, the surgeon makes the incision inside your lower eyelid, so it leaves no visible scar. We usually perform the transconjunctival blepharoplasty on younger patients with thicker, more elastic skin.

Facelift
Techniques for facelifts vary depending on your facial features, your surgeon’s preferences, and the desired results. The procedure may be performed on an outpatient basis (you'll return home that same day) or require a short hospital stay (usually just one night), depending on what the surgeon thinks is best.

Typically, the incision is hidden in the natural contour of the ear and then extends around the earlobe and back into the hairline. Following surgery, the incisions are easily concealed by hair or with makeup. Working through these incisions, the plastic surgeon frees the skin from its underlying tissues and pulls it upward and back. The excess skin is then removed.

In some cases, the deeper tissues may also be repositioned to restore a more youthful contour to the face. If necessary, an incision under the chin allows the surgeon to remove fatty tissue in that area and smooth the cord-like structures of the underlying muscle in the neck.

Your plastic surgeon will explain additional procedures that can be performed with a facelift. For example, a facelift is often combined with a brow or forehead lift, eyelid surgery, nose reshaping, liposuction of the face and neck, neck lift, and skin treatments. Your treatment plan will be customized to your personal needs and goals.

Forehead Lift or Brow Lift
To perform a brow lift, the surgical team begins by tying your hair with rubber bands in front of and behind the incision area. Your head will not be shaved, although hair immediately in front of the incision line may need to be trimmed. In most cases, the incision will start at about the level of your ears and run across the top of your forehead. If you have a high or receding hairline, the surgeon may make the incision just at the hairline to avoid making the forehead appear even higher. By wearing hair down on the forehead, most scars will not be noticeable.

Liposuction of the Face and Neck
Liposuction of the face and neck is usually performed on an outpatient basis (you'll return home that same day). The procedure generally takes from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the area and amount being suctioned. To begin the procedure, the surgeon makes a small incision just large enough to allow the insertion of a hollow tube called a cannula. The opposite end of the cannula is attached to a machine that creates a strong vacuum. Your surgeon manipulates the cannula deep within the fat layers under the skin, breaking up the fat, and suctioning it out.

Nose and Nasal Tip Surgery
Rhinoplasties are usually done on an outpatient basis (you'll return home that same day), but complex procedures may require a short inpatient stay (overnight in the hospital). A typical procedure usually takes one to two hours. During the surgery, your surgeon separates the skin of your nose from its supporting framework of bone and cartilage, which is then sculpted to the desired shape. The skin is then re-draped over the new framework.

Many plastic surgeons perform rhinoplasty from within the nose, making their incision inside the nostrils. For more complicated rhinoplasties, your surgeon may need to use an "open" approach. In this case, the surgeon makes a small incision across the columella (vertical strip of tissue separating the nostrils). Following surgery, a splint will be applied to help your nose maintain its new shape. Nasal packs or soft plastic splints also may be placed in the nostrils to stabilize the septum (the dividing wall between the air passages).

Why Choose UHealth?

Highly-trained specialists to perform your surgery. Offering the latest in leading-edge research and technology, our plastic surgeons treat many patients who have been referred by doctors from across the country and around the globe. Members of our plastic and reconstructive team are experts in a variety of complex procedures and represent a wide range of medical skills and training.

Unparalleled health care for the South Florida community. The University of Miami Health System delivers leading-edge patient care by the region’s best doctors, powered by the groundbreaking research of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.

Greater access to UHealth specialists. With more than 30 clinical sites across South Florida, UHealth patients are able to receive the excellence of academic health care without leaving the area.