Metodos De Sutura

along the whole length, thus creating the effect of
lifting or obtaining a high contour of soft tissues.
Initially, we used this technique on virtually all
portions of the face and neck.During long-term
practice, however, we concluded that the appropriate
use of this method was only for creation of
a high contour of the midface soft tissues and lifting
of the mental area.Accordingly, we developed
an optimal marking of the skin, taking into consideration
anatomic and functional peculiarities of the
portion concerned and the pathogenesis of the
deformityinvolved (Fig. 5).
We managed to obtain better outcomes in 35- to
50-year-old patients who had clear, not very thick
skin, with no pronounced atrophy of subcutaneous
fat and moderatemanifestations of soft tissue
ptosis (no sharply pronounced nasolabial folds,
overhanging of soft tissue bolsters above them,
mild distortions of the suborbital contours in the
form of lachrymalgrooves, and the presence of
hanging lips), who for various reasons refused
classic face lift operations. Mainly, these were the
patients who wished mild lifting barely visible to
otherpeople. These were also patients who had
previously undergone cutaneous rhytidoplasty
and were not satisfied with the outcome obtained
because the facial lifting had been poorly
pronounced inthe midface portions and high
volume of the buccozygomatic regions was not
attained.
Table 1
Age- and sex-related distribution of patients who underwent Aptos suture lifts betweenJanuary1988
and December 2007
Number (%) of Patients in Each Age Group
Gender 31^40 years old 41^50 years old 51^60 years old R61 Total
Female 115 (26.1) 167 (37.9) 114 (25.9) 44 (10) 440
Male 3(7.7) 29 (74.35) 7 (17.9) 0 39
Total 118 (26.5) 196 (40.9) 121 (25.2) 44 (9.2) 479
Fig. 3. Our first experiment in Aptos lifting.
APTOS Suture Lifting Methods: 10 Years Experience 283