The changing role of platysma in face lifting.

Abstract

Since the 1970s, surgical procedures on platysma muscle, aiming to achieve better results in face lifting, became popular and turned out to be an important surgical step for the plastic surgeon. Many plastic surgeons have contributed to the topic throughout these years, as several articles on the subject have been published. Articles dealing with platysma muscle still bring great interest among plastic surgeons. My concern with platysma muscle began in the mid-1970s and since then has grown continuously. I have steadily been studying the importance of the platysma muscle in the surgeries for facial rejuvenation, involving its anatomy, the techniques proposed, the results obtained, the recommendations for the best surgical procedure for each patient, and the complications. My experience and studies regarding platysma muscle, and the contributions I have brought into this field, are thoroughly described and discussed in this article.