The deep plane facelift.

The goal of any cosmetic facial plastic surgery procedure is to obtain a natural-appearing result that is not overdone or obviously operated upon. This is the case whether the background of the operating surgeon is in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, general plastic surgery, dermatology, or oculoplastic surgery. To satisfy this goal, the surgeon must apply those techniques that consistently achieve effective but understated results rather than experimenting with every new innovation or fad.

Outcomes instruments in facial plastic surgery.

The accurate measurement of patient-related outcomes of facial plastic surgery procedures relies upon the development, standardization, and use of validated, procedure-specific quality of life instruments. Although other fields of medicine and surgery have embraced the use of such instruments for the quantification and measurement of otherwise subjective or qualitative aspects of patient satisfaction, in the fields of both general and facial plastic surgery, little has been done in this realm. The study of outcomes research and the application of outcomes research to facial plastic surgery have already been discussed in this issue.

Cosmetic surgery procedures as luxury goods: measuring price and demand in facial plastic surgery.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between cosmetic facial plastic surgery procedure price and demand, and to test the hypothesis that these procedures function as luxury goods in the marketplace, with an upward-sloping demand curve.

Methods: Data were derived from a survey that was sent to every (N = 1727) active fellow, member, or associate of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, assessing the costs and frequency of 4 common cosmetic facial plastic surgery procedures (face-lift, brow-lift, blepharoplasty, and rhinoplasty) for 1999 and 1989. An economic analysis was performed to assess the relationship of price and demand for these procedures.

Measuring cosmetic facial plastic surgery outcomes: a pilot study.

Objective: To test 4 previously published outcomes instruments (the Facelift Outcomes Evaluation, the Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation, the Blepharoplasty Outcomes Evaluation, and the Skin Rejuvenation Outcomes Evaluation) in terms of their reliability and validity in assessing patient-related outcomes of surgical intervention.

Design: A prospective pilot study of 78 patients in 3 similar private cosmetic surgery centers undergoing a total of 100 face-lift, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, and skin rejuvenation procedures. Patients were evaluated at 2 preoperative and 1 postoperative time points and the instruments were analyzed with regard to their test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and responsiveness to change.