Browlift

Dr Amira Sanki, our facial plastic surgery specialist, will meet with you in a 45 minute consultation to address your concerns about the appearance of your forehead and eyes and your goals for treatment. The consultation will be performed with sensitivity to your opinions and thoughtfulness to your concerns.

Dr Sanki will help you identify the parts of your face and eyes that you like and do not like in order to determine what operation best suits you.  Your skin, facial muscles and bone structure will be analysed. Clinical photographs will be taken, and analysed with you.

A browlift is an operation of moderate duration and risk and so requires a thorough medical workup beforehand. It is important to determine if you have any medical conditions that could interfere with safe facial surgery.

If a browlift is appropriate the benefits and risks of surgery will be discussed in detail. You should consider forehead surgery carefully, and you will have the opportunity to see your surgeon in another consultation should new questions arise after your first visit.

Combination Procedures

Browlift surgery is often complemented by blepharoplasty, facelift, fat grafting and injectables.  A consultation with our skin care specialist regarding your skin care regimen and non-surgical rejuvenation is recommended. It can help to deal with the superficial signs of skin ageing such as dryness, pigmentation, fine lines and rosacea.

What the procedure involves

There are different types of browlift. All involve much more than tightening the skin. This gives the most natural and harmonious appearance to the forehead and eyebrows, rather than a tight, quizzical appearance.

There is currently a vogue to offer simple thread inlay lifts. These can be useful, but in general the duration of effect following a browlift is proportional to the extent of the original surgery.

There are four different types of browlift that are offered according to the shape of your forehead and eyebrows. The first three techniques for browlift surgery are performed under a general anaesthetic and require admission to hospital. Local anaesthetic is also used during the surgery to minimise bruising and assist in your post-operative pain control.

1. A Temporal browlift improves the contour of the outer part of the eyebrows and the heaviness at the outer corner of the eyes. It is often combined with a facelift and eyelid reduction procedure.
2. For patients requiring more significant restructuring of the eyebrows and ablation of their frown lines, a coronoal browlift is performed. This involves a larger incision that passes like a headband, from one ear to the other but is hidden within your hair. The skin and the frontalis muscle are elevated away from the forehead bones in order to identify the important nerves and blood vessels around the brow bone. The muscles are then relaxed in order to improve the appearance of frown lines. The muscles are then secured using strong stitches that pass to the skull bone or the tough layer over the skull bone to re-suspend drooping muscle and skin.
3. For patients with high or tall foreheads, the incision is placed in front of the hairline (pretrichial) so that the forehead is not further lengthened by the operation.
4. A direct browlift is a simpler procedure that can be performed under local anaesthetic in our procedure room. It involves an incision adjacent to the brow or within a forehead creaseline. This gives a neat scar that is hidden by your existing hairline or creaslines but offers a shorter term result.

Dr Amira Sanki is experienced in all three variations of the browlift operation and will recommend which procedure you would benefit from the most.

After the surgery

It is recommended that you rest at home for at least one week after the surgery to prevent bleeding and bruising caused by movement, and to allow your wounds to settle. Patients in office occupations can return to work after this.

The fine stitches will be removed one week after surgery, leaving thin, pink scars. With time, these scars become paler.

Staying in hospital for a night can make you more comfortable. Most patients are able to leave hospital within one day of surgery. Staying in hospital for a night can make you more comfortable following a larger procedure. Most patients are able to leave hospital within one day of surgery. Following surgery your skin will be bruised, swollen and numb. Your skin can feel tight and you may look “overdone” initially. These feelings will improve with time.

Surprisingly, most Sydney browlift patients describe the surgery as uncomfortable but not painful. Your skin can feel tight, with patches of numbness and some people have a moderate headache the following day.  This will improve with time. It is recommended that you rest at home for at least one week after the surgery to prevent bleeding and bruising caused by movement, and to allow your wounds to settle. The fine stitches will be removed one week after surgery, leaving thin, pink scars. With time, these scars become paler.

Our Sydney patients are able to drive approximately one week after a browlift. Usually, at one week following surgery, Dr Sanki’s browlift patients will be off sedating pain relief and will be able to comfortably turn their head to check their blind spots.

Most people having a browlift  can return to work after 2 weeks and can gently exercise after one week. You can perform stronger exercises eg heavy lifting, pilates after 6 weeks.

Dr Sanki is a Kogarah and Shire browlift specialist, and performs surgery at major hospital facilities including St George, Hurstville, Bondi Junction and St Luke’s private hospitals. She selects her hospitals based on their high standards of peri-operative care and their outstanding surgical equipment.

Dr Sanki has an all female surgical team available weekly. Surgery can be a vulnerable time for women, and having the security of an all female plastic surgery team can be comforting and reassuring. Dr Sanki’s team are not picked upon their gender, but are picked for their experience, dedication and skill.

Facial aesthetic surgery in Australia is considered cosmetic (elective) surgery and is not covered by Medicare or Private health insurance.

A browlift may sound simple but it is real surgery, and should be performed with sophisticated surgical technique for the safest and best results. It carries real risks, and as such should be considered carefully. Fortunately, browlift surgery in Sydney is safely performed by our highly experienced surgeons.

We recommend that you carefully consider your choice of surgeon. Unfortunately doctors without surgical qualifications beyond their medical degree are allowed to perform surgery. Your plastic surgeon should be appropriately qualified with at least a Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Plastic surgery (FRACS plast), which means that they have specialist plastic surgical training. FRACS is the standard qualification required in Australia to perform surgery in private and public hospitals.

Members of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons have a FRACS and specialised training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, including facelifts.

Our Sydney facial plastic surgeon, Dr Amira Sanki is a fully qualified Specialist Plastic Surgeon. She is Australian University trained, and received honours from her medical school. She is a member of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons and holds the Chair for Education for the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. She has extensive experience and training in facelift surgery, including the most advanced and up to date techniques. She is committed to giving their patients the safest and best treatment available.

A consultation with a qualified Plastic Surgeon is the best place to get the right advice. More information on browlift is available online at the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons and Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons websites. You can view a video of the procedure there.

1. Infection: Any surgical procedure has the risk of infection. Surgeons take precautions to minimise this risk, such as sterile operating environments and proper wound care, but infections can still occur.

2. Scarring: Scarring is an inherent risk of plastic surgery. While surgeons strive to minimise visible scarring, some procedures may result in more noticeable or keloid scars.

3. Pain and discomfort: Plastic surgery involves incisions and tissue manipulation, which can lead to post-operative pain and discomfort. The level of pain varies depending on the procedure and the individual’s pain tolerance.

4. Hematoma and seroma: Hematomas are collections of blood that can form under the skin after surgery, while seromas are collections of fluid. These fluid collections may require drainage.

5. Nerve damage: Nerves can be damaged during surgery, leading to temporary or permanent numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation in the affected area. Nerve damage can also cause muscle weakness or paralysis.

6. Blood clots: Surgical procedures carry a risk of blood clot formation, particularly in the legs. Blood clots can be serious if they travel to other parts of the body, causing complications like pulmonary embolism.

7. Anesthesia risks: Plastic surgery usually requires the use of anesthesia, which carries its own set of risks. These include adverse reactions to anesthesia, breathing difficulties, and, in rare cases, life-threatening complications.

8. Unsatisfactory results: Plastic surgery outcomes may not meet the patient’s expectations or desires. It’s important for individuals to have realistic expectations and to communicate clearly with their surgeon about their goals and desired outcomes.

9. Revision surgery: In some cases, additional surgery may be required to achieve the desired results or to correct any complications or unsatisfactory outcomes. This can increase the financial and emotional burden on the patient.

10. Psychological and emotional effects: Plastic surgery can have psychological and emotional impacts, both positive and negative. While many people experience improved self-esteem and body image after surgery, others may struggle with unrealistic expectations, body dysmorphia, or dissatisfaction with the results.

It’s crucial for individuals considering plastic surgery to consult with a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon who can thoroughly explain the risks and benefits specific to their desired procedure. Understanding and carefully weighing these risks against the potential benefits can help individuals make informed decisions about whether to proceed with plastic surgery.