Answer:
A crescent-shaped expander is placed under face lift flaps. The flaps are then re-anchored down. The expander is then inflated with air under the skin has a moderate pallor, first for 1 minute, then 2 minutes. It is then removed, allowing for significantly more skin to be resected than by the usual dissection techniques according to the authors.
The purpose is to allow a combination of stretching and expansion of the skin to allow for more skin resection at the time of primary face lift which will hopefully give an improved and longer lasting result. The surgeons developed this technique in response to 3 problems observed occurring on one side of the face while proceeding with the other: 1) Contracture and contraction that needs to be overcome later, 2)oozing beneath the flap, and 3) wasting time in having to re-stretch what would have been stretched in the first placed.