Cervicoplasty

A cervicoplasty removes excess skin from the chin and neck area. During a cervicoplasty, excess fat will be removed however the muscles underneath the chin will be left intact.

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The Skinny

Cervicoplasty

avg. recovery: 3 weeks
permanence: Is permanent
Type: Minor Surgical Procedure
surgical: Yes
cost: $3500 - $6500

About the Procedure

Last Updated: 11.25.2020

A cervicoplasty is a common procedure performed to give patients a more defined profile in the neck area. Aging skin can create folds of overly lax skin and in situations of extreme weight loss, excess skin can hang off of the neck creating the appearance of a double chin. If patients also have apparent neck bands, a cervicoplasty is often combined with a platysmaplasty to tighten the underlying muscles. During a cervicoplasty the patient will lay on their back for the duration of the procedure. The area will be thoroughly infiltrated with a liquid solution combination of lidocaine and epinephrine. This lidocaine in the solution numbs the area while the addition of epinephrine allows for larger doses of numbing to be administered while simultaneously elongating the effects of the anesthesia and reducing bleeding. A z-plasty cut is made on the neck, which will look like a "z" but will be closed as a seamless straight line. Excess skin and fat will be removed. No muscle tightening will be performed.

The goal of a cervicoplasty is to reduce or remove excess skin underneath the chin and neck area.

Concerns

Cervicoplasty addresses concerns such as:

What to Expect

A cervicoplasty removes excess skin from the chin and neck area but does not affect the neck muscles. Here is a quick guide for what to expect before, during, and after a cervicoplasty.

Before Treatment

Stop taking blood thinning medications 2 weeks before
Stop topical medications such as Retin-A or other tretinoin products
Stop smoking 4 weeks before and after
No alcohol 5 days prior
Do not eat or drink 6 hours before

During Treatment

Local anesthesia with sedation
A z-plasty incision is made on the neck
Excess skin and fat is removed
Sutures to close in a straight line

Recovery Notes

It is common to experience mild to moderate discomfort following a cervicoplasty however this will dissipate over the first few days. Most patients are able to return to work 2-4 weeks after surgery. The bruising and swelling goes away slowly over about 4 weeks. Sutures will likely be removed in 5-10 days.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate for a cervicoplasty has excess skin underneath the chin and neck.

Not Recommended For

A cervicoplasty is not recommended for patients who also need to address muscle laxity in the neck or have a significant amount of excess fat in the chin and neck area who would better benefit from a more invasive procedure.