Aesthetic Surgery of the Head and Neck: Anatomy, Techniques and Complications

How much tissue should a surgeon dissect, remove or reposition — and when is doing less actually the better operation? This introductory lecture approaches facial aesthetic surgery through anatomy, tissue preservation and patient-specific planning rather than a single fashionable technique.

The discussion moves from facial fat compartments, retaining structures, vascular and nerve anatomy to practical examples of upper and lower blepharoplasty, endoscopic forehead and temporal lifting, facelift and SMAS work, lipofilling, buccal fat procedures and other commonly discussed interventions. Particular attention is paid to how aging changes volume and fixation, why modern surgery increasingly favors repositioning over simple excision, and why deeper dissection is not automatically better.

Clinical examples highlight ectropion, hematoma, ischemia, skin necrosis and problems caused by excessive tension or tissue removal. The Q&A adds an experienced surgeon's perspective on learning new procedures, choosing between superficial and deep-plane approaches, postoperative asymmetry, previous fillers and threads, and the limits of trying to create an 'ideal' result. A useful foundation for trainees who want to understand not only how facial aesthetic operations are performed, but how surgeons decide how far to go.