The 33rd Mendelson Advanced Facial Anatomy Course (MAFAC) was held at Mayo Clinic Rochester from July 6–9, 2025, bringing together global leaders in facial rejuvenation surgery for an intensive four-day educational program. Dr. Minhee Ryu participated as Faculty, leading cadaver dissection demonstrations and tutoring focused on the midface, including the prezygomatic space, and presenting his proprietary PUSH DOWN Technique for safely releasing retaining ligaments in deep plane facelift surgery.
He collaborated closely with internationally renowned faculty, contributed to hands-on surgical education, and engaged in high-level academic exchange alongside pioneers such as Dr. Bryan Mendelson and Professor Basel Sharaf. The course highlighted cutting-edge advancements in facial surgical anatomy, including 3D, AR, and VR educational technologies, and concluded as a highly successful meeting marked by strong academic rigor, collaboration, and global impact.
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Faculty at MAFAC Mayo Clinic 2025
The 33rd Mendelson Advanced Facial Anatomy Course (MAFAC) was held at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, from July 6 to 9. Collaborating with MAFAC at the Mayo Clinic Rochester campus—ranked the No. 1 hospital in the world—represents a true meeting of the best experts in each field.
This year’s MAFAC was a four-day course. The first day consisted of a pre-course workshop titled “The Facial Assessment and Sculpting Session,” followed by three days of hands-on cadaver dissection and lectures.
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At MAFAC Mayo Clinic 2025, I participated as Faculty, responsible for cadaver dissection demonstration and tutoring. I performed a cadaveric demonstration focusing on the midface, specifically the prezygomatic space and surrounding structures. In deep plane facelift surgery, releasing the retaining ligaments in the sub-SMAS plane is essential, and doing so safely—without facial nerve injury—is the key. I demonstrated in detail a technique I developed, “How to Safely Release Retaining Ligaments in Deep Plane Facelift: Dr. Ryu’s PUSH DOWN Technique.” This method allows for safe, simple, and effective dissection while minimizing the risk of nerve injury and is highly useful in deep plane facelift surgery. I previously presented this technique at Mayo Clinic Rochester in 2023, and this time, I was able to share it fully through live cadaver dissection demonstration.
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During the demonstration, I worked as a team with Dr. Chin-Ho Wong, Dr. Basel Sharaf, and Dr. Ruth Graf, supporting one another closely. They are colleagues I deeply respect and friends who feel like family. Even within deep plane facelift surgery, each surgeon has subtle differences in technique. Respecting this diversity and enriching educational content is critically important—it benefits participants and represents the way forward for MAFAC. Being able to demonstrate deep plane facelift techniques as Faculty at the Mayo Clinic Rochester campus is a tremendous honor.
These are the participants I tutored at MAFAC Mayo Clinic 2025. They came from Brazil and Argentina, eager to properly learn deep plane facelift surgery. Given the excellence of MAFAC’s educational structure and methodology, I am confident that simply following the program builds strong confidence in deep plane facelift and deep neck lift.
During hands-on cadaver dissection, I encourage participants to perform as much as possible themselves. I step in directly only when they struggle to find the correct plane or encounter difficulty. I followed the same approach with these participants, carefully teaching my method for safely releasing retaining ligaments—Dr. Ryu’s PUSH DOWN Technique—and allowing them to experience it firsthand. I hope they gained much from MAFAC, and I look forward to meeting them again at a future MAFAC course or in Seoul.
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The first lecture of MAFAC Mayo Clinic 2025 was delivered by Dr. Bryan Mendelson, titled “The Concept of Layered Facial Anatomy.” He reviewed the latest insights into facial aging and surgical anatomy. This lecture was invaluable for understanding the history and significance of facial surgical anatomy in facelift surgery. Dr. Mendelson is widely recognized as the world’s leading authority in this field and is the author of this section in the U.S. plastic surgery textbook. Mayo Clinic Rochester itself has written much of the history of medicine in the United States and globally, and Dr. Mendelson completed his plastic surgery training here. Hearing a master’s lecture in such a historically significant place was profoundly meaningful.
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One of the most memorable moments of the 33rd MAFAC Mayo Clinic 2025 was Dr. Bryan Mendelson’s facial anatomy lecture at Phillips Hall, followed by Professor Basel Sharaf’s 3D lecture. It felt like a moment where the past, present, and future came together—continuing the history of facial rejuvenation surgery and anatomy while creating new pathways forward. Being part of this as MAFAC Faculty is a great honor.
The 3D, AR, and VR visualizations of facial surgical anatomy were exceptional. This represents an outstanding achievement by Professor Basel Sharaf and the Mayo Clinic team, and it is evident that the program continues to evolve each year. Viewing facial anatomy three-dimensionally from multiple perspectives allows for intuitive understanding of each structure. From an educational standpoint, this is a remarkable accomplishment with enormous future potential. I extend my sincere congratulations and gratitude.
The MAFAC Faculty are another family to me—brothers and colleagues who achieve academic excellence while writing the history of facial surgical anatomy and procedures. They are role models who consistently maintain humility and integrity. I added another treasured memory at the Anatomy Lab of Mayo Clinic Rochester.
After successfully completing MAFAC Day 1: Advanced Facial Rejuvenation & Anatomy of the Deep Plane, we held a reception.
On Day 2, there was a Faculty Dinner. I had meaningful conversations with invited faculty Dr. Mario Pele Cerevolo and Dr. Bryan Pruit. Their lectures, drawn from deep experience, were outstanding. In particular, Dr. Bryan Pruit’s concepts and procedures in deep plane facelift surgery were very similar to my own, and we enjoyed exchanging perspectives. This was also my first time performing a cadaveric midface demonstration, and it was an honor to hear Dr. Bryan Mendelson mention it. The Faculty Dinner was filled with joy and gratitude.
Invited Faculty Dr. Mario Pele Cerevolo has made significant contributions to the history of facial rejuvenation surgery. His procedures involving the platysma muscle are especially creative and sincere. His passion for neck rejuvenation remains strong, and I learned a great deal from his lectures and demonstrations.
Being able to work alongside these global top-tier masters each year is both a privilege and an honor of being MAFAC Faculty. Their commitment to continuous research and challenge, built on a solid academic foundation, is deeply inspiring. We have also been invited together to a congress in Saudi Arabia this December, where I look forward to more outstanding lectures and live surgery demonstrations.
On the final day, a MAFAC Dinner was held for all participants. The 33rd MAFAC Mayo Clinic 2025 concluded successfully, with bright smiles on the faces of both Faculty and participants. The weather was beautiful, filled with sunshine. I extend special thanks to the MAFAC Director and the Mayo Clinic team for their dedication and hard work.
This is the certification acknowledging my service as Faculty at MAFAC Mayo Clinic 2025. My mentor, Dr. Bryan Mendelson, kindly wrote a personal comment encouraging my contribution through demonstration during this course. His thoughtfulness was deeply moving, and I expressed my sincere gratitude separately. Serving as MAFAC Faculty is one of the greatest blessings and honors in my journey as a plastic surgeon.
These are my wonderful friends and respected colleagues. Dr. Chin-Ho Wong is like an older brother and role model to me. Beyond his outstanding academic achievements, his character and integrity are truly exemplary—always thoughtful, kind, and humble, with a noble presence. We first met at MAFAC Melbourne University in 2012, and I have continued to learn from him closely ever since.
Professor Basel Sharaf is another exceptional colleague with countless qualities to learn from. Always humble and kind, he has demonstrated outstanding leadership. Over the past three years as MAFAC Director, he has achieved remarkable results. The collaboration between MAFAC and Mayo Clinic would not have been possible without him, significantly elevating MAFAC’s stature. His work in 3D lectures and AR/VR facial anatomy education is truly amazing, and his artistic pursuits as a painter and writer are equally impressive.
To work alongside such accomplished yet humble individuals at MAFAC is a great fortune in my life.
My wonderful friends from Germany—Dr. Georgios Kolios, a long-time MAFAC Faculty colleague and close friend for nearly a decade, always generous with kindness and humor, and Dr. Daniel Lonic, who participated in MAFAC for the first time. We met earlier this year at a meeting in Munich and shared great memories. Both completed fellowships at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan and are familiar with Asian culture. Being with such great friends made MAFAC Mayo Clinic 2025 even more meaningful. We promised to meet again soon in Seoul.
Dr. Zekeriya Kul, a master of endoscopic deep plane facelift, is both MAFAC Faculty and a close friend. He recently published a book and kindly gave me a signed copy as a gift. Beyond his excellent lectures and demonstrations, his humility is something I deeply respect. My sincere congratulations and thanks.
A MAFAC Board Meeting was also held. I extend deep gratitude to the Transition Committee for their dedication and contributions. MAFAC continues to move forward.
I feel great pride in the continued growth of MAFAC and look forward to all Faculty moving forward together with unity and purpose.
Dr. Minhee Ryu, M.D.
RNWOOD Plastic Surgery
Seoul, South Korea
(Source: https://blog.naver.com/rejuvemaster )
Dr. Minhee Ryu is a World-Class FACELIFT Specialist and Global Educator, who is deeply committed to sharing his facial rejuvenation surgery and anatomy expertise. As a lecturer, tutor, and demonstrator, he is invited to deliver DEEP PLANE FACELIFT presentations and perform live surgery and cadaver dissection Demonstrations in more than 15 countries, including Korea, the US, Europe, Singapore, Australia, Japan, and beyond.
Recognized worldwide for his expertise in DEEP PLANE FACELIFT, Dr. Ryu is a Faculty Member at MAFAC since 2016, a guest Faculty Member at Mayo Clinic since 2023, and an Editorial Board Member for the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Journal (SCI) since 2019. He is an active member of KSPRS, ASPS, ASAPS, and ISAPS. As a global top-tier leader in Facelifts, Dr. Minhee Ryu makes dedicated contributions to academic advancement and surgical education.
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