Lifting the Anterior Midcheek and Nasolabial Fold: Introduction to the Melo Fat Pad Anatomy and Its Role in Longevity and Recurrence

BACKGROUND: A limitation of current facelift techniques is the early postoperative reappearance of anterior midcheek laxity associated with recurrence of the nasolabial fold (NLF). OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to examine the regional anatomy of the anterior midcheek and NLF with a focus on explaining the early recurrence phenomenon and to explore the possibility of alternative surgical methods that prolong NLF correction. METHODS: Fifty cadaver heads were studied (16 embalmed, 34 fresh; mean age, 75 years). Following preliminary dissections and macrosectioning, a series of standardized layered dissections were performed, complemented by histology, sheet plastination, and microcomputed tomography. Mechanical testing of the melo fat pad (MFP) and skin was performed to gain insight on which structure is responsible for transmission of the lifting tension in a composite facelift procedure. RESULTS: Anatomic dissections, sheet plastination, and microcomputed tomography demonstrated the 3-dimensional architecture and borders of the MFP. Histology of a lifted midcheek demonstrated that a composite MFP lift causes a change in connective tissue organization from a hanging-down pattern into a pulled-upward pattern, suggesting traction on the skin. Mechanical testing confirmed that, in a composite lift, despite the sutures being placed directly into the deep aspect of the MFP, the lifting tension distal to the suture is transmitted through the skin and not through the MFP. CONCLUSIONS: The usual method of performing a composite midcheek lift results in the skin, and not the MFP itself, bearing the load of the nondissected tissues distal to the lifting suture. For this reason, early recurrence of the NLF occurs following skin relaxation in the postoperative period. Accordingly, specific surgical procedures for remodeling the MFP should be explored, possibly in combination with volume restoration of the fat and bone, for more lasting improvement of the NLF.