The second-look technique in face lifts--does it work?

Charts of 120 patients who have undergone face lifts in a single practice have been reviewed for objective evidence of postoperative hematoma formation following traditional or second-look face lift surgery. The respective rates of hematoma formation-21.7 percent, as compared with 7 percent-were found to be significantly different (P less than 0.025) by chi-square analysis, and no extraneous factors can be asserted to explain this difference. The authors therefore conclude that the second-look technique is responsible for reducing postoperative complication from face lift and that it is a worthwhile modification to the traditional procedure.