lower facelift problems

[Bob805]

I had a lower facelift about four months ago.  After the surgery I developed tinnitus in my right ear?  Went to a ENT specialist who after many tests deemed my hearing OK and said he didn't have an answer.  I also have severe electric-like pain in my temple area and in my lower cheek on both sides of my face, but more severe on the right side.  Also, I have a phantom/numbness that runs from my right temple laterally under the right eye and down the side of the nose with the cheek somewhat this way too.  My surgeon says to give it time and prescribed gabapentin -300mg/3 a day and suggested a neurologist.  I thought this may be a trigeminal nerve problem?  The neurologist said it wasn't a nerve problem in his opinion, but said he had no experience with plastic surgery procedures even though I had the surgeon talk to him before my appointment.  My surgeon says he doesn't see why this is happening.  I'm also still numb along the lower jaw and in front of the ears, have a degree of tightness in my neck and have a hypertrophic scar by the right sideburn where a surgical cut was made.  I'm getting tired of knocking on doors and spending my money to resolve this.  Nobody has answers or are afraid to approach the subject?  What do you recommend, I'm lost?

[jpenny1018]

A related discussion, Massaging "chord" under the chin was started.

[carolecarre]

A related discussion, Facelift and tinnitus was started.

[pluto207]

A related discussion, ear numbness and tingling was started.

[Bob805]

What were your feelings on the electric/stab pain in the temple/lower cheek area?  Is this tied in with the numbness -it's very bad.  Is this pain part of the nerve regeneration process?  Have you ever encountered tinnitus in these proceedures by a patient?  Can internal stitches bring any of this on since they're a foreign substance?  I would add that the surgeon did not do a deep plane facelift.  Thanks so much for your input.

[Howard Rosenberg, MD]

Four months post facelift is relative early to see complete resolution of numbness that commonly occurs after this procedure.  The skin has been separated from the underlying deep subcutaneous tissue and there is post-op deep scarring and swelling, all of which contribute to some numbness.  It may take several more months for resolution, but I have seen numbness last more that a year after this procedure particularly in are area directly in front of the ears.  If the hypertrophic scarring does not resolve, it can be readily revised.