To Open Or Not To Open The Neck? That Is The Question At The ASAPS Annual Meeting

Main Category: Cosmetic Medicine / Plastic Surgery
Article Date: 06 May 2011 - 8:00 PDT

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When it comes to cosmetic neck enhancement-whether rejuvenating the older neck or improving the contours of the younger neck-aesthetic plastic surgeons are divided on the issue of whether or not to open the neck. An expert panel will discuss this issue at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), being held May 7-11, 2011 in Boston, MA. The panel, entitled "The Neck - To Open or Not to Open - That is the Question," will be moderated by Fritz Barton, MD, and feature Joel Feldman, MD, and Jeffrey Patrick Tonnard, MD, who will discuss the indications for opening the neck and the optimal methods for neck enhancement using open and closed approaches.

"Dr. Feldman and Dr. Tonnard are experts with different viewpoints on neck correction," said Dr. Barton. "Attendees can look forward to a very interesting discussion on the pros and cons of each approach, and on the question of 'at what point is opening the neck necessary to achieve an acceptable result?'."

With the increasing trend toward less invasive cosmetic procedures, the choice between an 'open approach' and 'closed approach' to neck correction has become a point of debate. Supporters of the open approach, in which the sides and front of the neck are opened, believe that better results are more consistently achieved when the deeper tissue in the front of the neck can be trimmed and modified if needed, and when the separated platysma muscle halves are seamed together. Supporters of opening the neck also maintain the view that a timely recovery and a low incidence of postoperative problems can be routinely obtained with attention to certain technical details.

"I will discuss the benefit of using the open approach, which I feel is very effective for most patients," said Dr. Feldman. "However, I also appreciate that some patients can benefit from the less invasive approach, and I believe that all surgeons should select the method that will best serve an individual patient."

Supporters of the 'closed approach' argue that opening the front of the neck is often associated with a longer recovery period and a higher incidence of complications. These surgeons believe that a closed approach, which involves simple liposuction to remove excess superficial fat when indicated, along with a tightening of the platysma muscle from the sides of the neck, can produce very satisfactory results in most patients.

"We have nothing against opening a neck. We are only against opening a neck when it is not necessary," said Dr. Tonnard, who will speak in favor of using the closed approach.

The Neck - to Open or Not to Open - That is the Question
Date: Monday, May 8th, 11:30am
Moderator: Fritz Barton, MD
Presenters: Joel Feldman, MD
Jeffrey Patrick Tonnard, MD

Source:
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)

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