Traditional facelift surgery has long been defined by what it does to the skin pulling, tightening, and trimming surface tissue to create a younger appearance. The results, while sometimes effective, often leave patients looking operated on rather than refreshed. Dr. Andrew Jacono developed a different surgical philosophy, one grounded in the anatomy of facial aging rather than its surface appearance.
Moving Tissue as One Unit
The approach Dr. Andrew Jacono pioneered is called the Minimal Access Deep-Plane Extended facelift. Its central principle is that skin, muscle, and fat should travel together during repositioning, not be separated and pulled in different directions. When those layers move as a single composite structure, the face retains a natural drape. The pulled, windswept look associated with older facelift techniques results from tension concentrated at the skin surface a problem this method eliminates by design.
Faces age through two primary mechanisms: volume loss and downward tissue migration. Skin laxity is a symptom, not the cause. Dr. Andrew Jacono’s technique targets the underlying drivers by releasing four key facial ligaments that anchor soft tissue to bone. Once released, the surgeon can reposition fat pads in the midface, jawline, and neck vertically rather than horizontally, countering the actual direction gravity pulls tissue over time. Town and Country reported that Jacono keeps skin, muscle, and fat as one unit during this repositioning, which distinguishes the method from conventional approaches.
Outcomes Backed by Research
Dr. Andrew Jacono published his technique in Aesthetic Surgery Journal in 2011, with data from 153 patients showing complication rates below industry norms. A 2019 refinement introduced additional modifications targeting jawline rejuvenation and lower-face volume, documented with quantitative measurements including the mandibular defining line to track contour improvements. The extended deep-plane approach has also demonstrated longer durability than standard methods, with results lasting roughly twice as long as SMAS facelifts due to the depth and stability of the tissue repositioning. Incisions are one-third the length of traditional techniques, positioned to remain hidden even with short hairstyles. See related link for additional information.
More about Dr. Andrew Jacono on https://www.bbntimes.com/science/what-peer-recognition-and-national-rankings-reveal-about-dr-andrew-jacono-s-surgical-reputation