Elderly can go for a face-lift

Elderly should not be denied a face-lift on the basis of their age alone. A recent study found that adults in their late 70s or older can safely have a face-lift, as long as they are reasonably healthy. Researchers from the University of Florida College of Medicine at Gainesville, USA, followed 33 elderly patients who had a risk of complications that was on par with that of middle-aged patients.Face-lifts are no longer the stuff of mid-life crisis. The investigators analysed a poll of U.S. plastic surgeons that found that, between 1999 and 2001, number of cosmetic procedures performed on patients in their 70s doubled. And the number of surgeries performed on adults older than 80 jumped four-fold.To assess the safety of cosmetic surgery in the elderly, researchers reviewed the cases of 33 patients, age 75 or older, who had a face-lift between 1998 and 2002. They were compared with 74 patients between the ages of 45 and 61 who underwent a face-lift during the same period. Researchers found that there were no serious complications among patients in either age group. Five of the 33 elderly patients had more-minor complications, such as delayed wound healing or a buildup of fluid known as seroma. Seven of the 74 younger patients had similar complications.The findings suggest that in the context of reasonably good health, face-lift can be safely done in older patients.

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