Cheek Mid-Facelift
With aging, cheeks and mid face drop downward and inward, which can cause a furrow to appear next to the nose and a hollowing effect over the top of the cheek.
Now, cheek mid-face surgery can be accomplished through the same lower eyelid approach that is used to remove excessive skin and fat in the lower lid. In fact, the two procedures can be done at the same time. Usually this is done through an incision on the inside of the lower lid and a small skin incision in the outer corner of the eyelid.
Dr. Putterman is one of the first surgeons in the Chicago area to perform this mid-facelift procedure (also referred to as “soof lift”).
During the procedure, the tissues that line the cheekbones are released, from the lower lids to the upper lips and to the sides of the nose. This allows the cheeks to be pulled up and secured with internal sutures.
The procedure not only restores the cheek to a more normal position, it also smoothes out the fold that occurs on the side of the nose and decreases the hollowing at the top of the cheek.
If this operation is performed, it is necessary to horizontally tighten the lower eyelids by removing a section of the outer lids and then suspending what is left to the bony area of the outer lids.
Procedure Video
Before and After Photos


Details of Surgical Technique
Illustrations are from Dr. Putterman’s textbook “Cosmetic Oculoplastic Surgery”.