Facial Danger Zones

Modern extensive operations for facial rejuvenation provide superior results but also involve deeper dissections with increased potential for injury to the facial nerves. This work provides a guide to safety, alerting the surgeon to potential dangers encountered in deep plane facelifts.

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Subperiosteal, extended sub-SMAS, deep plane and composite rhytidectomy are all names that have been used to describe the current, more extensive operations for facial rejuvenation. Although these procedures provide superior results, they also involve deeper dissections with increased potential for injury to the facial nerves. A thorough understanding of the location of these nerves is crucial to avoid injury. This work provides a guide to safety in these procedures, alerting the surgeon to the facial danger zones encountered in deep plane facelifts. Divided into sections based on seven major facial danger zones, this clinical atlas defines each zone and graphically demonstrates the nerve and consequence of injury, anatomic borders of each facial danger zone, and techniques for safe surgical dissection.