What Patients Should Know About Dr. Andrew Jacono’s Technique
Anyone researching facelifts will quickly encounter the term deep plane. The extended deep-plane facelift associated with Dr. Andrew Jacono is one of the best-known versions, and understanding a few basics can help prospective patients ask better questions during a consultation. A few facts about how the method works, and what its published data shows, go a long way.
How the Procedure Differs
Older facelifts lifted skin away from the tissue below it and tightened only the surface layer. That approach produced the stretched, wind-tunnel look many people fear. The extended deep-plane method keeps skin, muscle, and fat connected. Dr. Andrew Jacono operates beneath the SMAS, the layer that ties facial muscles to skin, and frees the ligaments that hold tissue in place. He then repositions the midface, jawline, and neck vertically.
Patients often report afterward that they look like refreshed versions of themselves. The aim is to put tissue back where it sat at a younger age, which avoids the tension that makes a face look operated on.
Scars, Safety, and Durability
Incisions are about one-third the length of traditional facelift incisions. They sit behind the ear or along the hairline, so patients can wear their hair up. Dr. Jacono calls the results “ponytail-friendly.”
Complication data comes from his 2011 study of 153 patients in Aesthetic Surgery Journal a 3.9% revision rate, roughly 1.9% hematoma, and 1.3% temporary facial nerve injury. These rates fall below industry averages. Later research showed deep-plane techniques are less likely to injure the facial nerve than superficial lifts.
Results last 12 to 15 years, according to published outcomes, though lifestyle, skin quality, and skin care all play a role. Those factors remain partly in the patient’s hands after surgery. For comparison, a standard SMAS facelift typically lasts about half as long.
Experience is worth asking about with any surgeon. Dr. Andrew Jacono performs approximately 250 of these procedures a year and drew on more than 2,000 cases for his 2021 textbook. Prospective patients can reasonably ask any surgeon about case volume, complication rates, and published outcomes before deciding. Read this article for additional information.
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