Lifestyle Lift: Stories

Write a Review

3 Days After Lifestyle Lift and All is Well (78 Years Old)

Ellemnop
posted 3 years ago
updated 3 years ago

Worth It
Cost: $5,000
Michael W. Hill MD Facial Plastic Surgery & Tomorrow's Health MediSPA (Des Moines, IA)

My 78 year old mother asked me to post. She just...

23 Aug 2009

My 78 year old mother asked me to post. She just had this done in Des Moines on Thursday...we drove in from Minneapolis, as no one here does this procedure.

I went with her several months prior to for the consultation. Very professional. No hard sales pitch. I checked out the Dr. who was AWESOME! He has several decades of experience in his field. And even after I shared with her all the negative reviews posted on here, she still wanted to go through with it. So I had the Dr.'s office put me in touch with a few of his actual patients who had the LSL done. They were very positive. I was still nervous, but my Mom was determined.

The entire thing...from post-op pictures to clean up, took about 3 hours. Surgery lasted about 90 minutes. She did say she got a little queezy before they started, but assumes it was just nerves as they had yet to even touch her face when it happened. They gave her something for that, and she was fine. She said she was so calm once they actually started, she almost fell asleep! HA! She felt no pain at all, she said.

When they were done, the Dr. came out to the waiting room to let me know she had gotten a little sick before they started, but he also thought it was just nerves. He also told me how much skin they cut off...she had a saggy neckline...and said she looks so different, it was amazing. He was super nice and took me back to see her, saying "she will probably appreciate seeing a familiar face." When I saw her, she had two nurses cleaning and dressing the incisions and she was in great spirits. She already looked amazing! I said, "WOW, Mom! You have a jawline!" And the first thing she said was "I am SO HUNGRY!" (As per the nurses suggestion, we went out immediately and got her a malt.) They gave both of us instructions on caring for the incision and medications, and then made an appointment to change the bandages for the next day.

After getting her malt, we went back to the hotel and she slept for two hours then got up because she had some pain. Took one pain killer, which literally worked within about 15 minutes, then watched television until the wee hours. I kept asking her if her face was numb, as many people stated on this forum, and she said no. Besides the big wrapping around her head, she felt totally normal!

The next morning, she had her bandages changed and we went out for lunch and then went shopping! And the next day, we went to the botanical gardens. YES! She felt that good and was bored sitting around the hotel room. She never took another pain pill besides the first one. I have helped her wash the incisions, and I have to tell you, it's hard to even see them, they are so tiny!! No bleeding at all, either. She does have bruising on her neck where they gave her the shots. And she did say the first couple of shots were not too pleasant, but she says the dentist is worse!! Other than that, she can't believe how pain-free the entire thing has been. And so far, she has very little swelling.

I am posting pictures and I apologize for my lack of professional photographic skills. I will post more as things progress.

For the record, we are going on vacation Tuesday and Mom is coming along. Her only complaint so far is that she can't wash her hair until next week which is why she won't let me take her picture without the bandages yet!

Great review?

My Doctor: Join to view doctor's name

My rating:

Very experienced, professional staff, great bedside manner, takes his time, and totally knows what he's doing.

Comments (25)

Sort by

Sharon at RealSelf (Community Manager) 1 Sep 2009

This is another reminder that we don't allow personal attacks or namecalling on RealSelf. Right now that's not being heeded.

Based on the incendiary comments made here - some of which I have posted a warning about on 8/26 and some of which I have had to remove today - I'm closing this thread to comments until further notice.

Ellemnop, as you had already mentioned that you are not going to post again, I hope this is not an inconvenience for you.

If you change your mind about updating, please PM me and we can discuss re-opening the thread at a later date (FYI, you can still update your review should you wish to update us on your mom's progress).

If anyone else would like to get in touch, my inbox is always open. Click my name and then click the e-mail icon to send me a private message.

Cheers,
--Sharon

Bits 31 Aug 2009

I am glad she had a good experience, Honest. What you have to understand is many here have not & are still in lots of pain- even years later. What you must also understand is, we also have been plagued with people from LSL that have been putting positive results for the procedure. That is a fact& we have dealt with that. LSL was even found guilty & fined for having employees post good results here. So, we were double victimized.. We know there are good& bad doctors, in every profession, and we got the raw end of the deal. Please understand we are happy for your mother!! We just wish we were as lucky, as we put our faith & faces in the hands of doctors that have caused more harm than good. I apologize if I came off that way, it was never my intention. Having my procedure done, there were no nurses, only consults who pretended they were & they, not the Dr., determined if we were candidates. That was just a small problem we incurred with this center. There is so much more we have indured. Take Care& continued healing for your Mom...

Ellemnop 30 Aug 2009

Not sure what the issue is here, but my photos will not post. They just sit there in uploading file mode. I hope this is a minor website issue and will try it again tomorrow. AND THEN I will not be posting again on here after that. You people are all just too, too much.

Ellemnop 30 Aug 2009

This is my last post. You have all proven to me that this is NOT the open forum it claims to be, but a place for the miserable to hang out and stay miserable...not to mention, put fear in the heart's of anyone who is contemplating an LSL or worse yet, make anyone who has had a POSITIVE LSL experience feel terrible that they aren't suffering like you. Here are two photos of my Mom. The first is two days after surgery. She had her bandage changed that day and still had to wear this weird strap thing for another day. Her face looks swollen, but I think it was actually the strap that was on so tight, it pushed everything forward and simply gave that appearance, as it did not look like that once she removed the strap the next morning. The second photo is 6 days after surgery. Her neck where they gave her some of the shots is actually what is black and blue...though you can hardly tell...and also swollen a little. We went to Mount Rushmore. She could not wash her hair for a week though, and unfortunately, I do not know how to black out her eyes so had to crop off the top of her head in the photo, otherwise you could see her greasy-ish bangs. (It was the polysporin that smudged all over from the top part of her ears and then onto her forehead!) She is also wearing lots of sunscreen on her face and no makeup, so hence, she did not want me posting the photos on the world-wide web UNTIL I told her how angry so many of you were that she was actually happy!! As you can see, she is smiling. I know that makes some of you really sad, and I almost feel like apologizing for her wonderful experience...but considering how nasty you have been to me, I think I can live with it. My Mom is overjoyed and has been since she first saw her face in the mirror 5 minutes after surgery. They actually CUT OFF a lot of skin. Not sure how much, but the Dr. said it was more than normal. (Remember, she's 78!) For the record, I have not had an argument with my Mother in well over a decade. UNTIL I read all your ugly, negative posts and tried to talk her out of it. And I don't mind telling you, I am SO GLAD she did not listen!! For anyone reading this who is contemplating having an LSL, I give my HIGHEST recommendation to the office in Des Moines. I can't speak for every Dr., but please understand, the LSL is sort of a franchise (that's my take on it, anyway.) EVERY DR. IS DIFFERENT!! And the Des Moines Office was established long before ever taking on the LSL. The Dr. performing the LSL's there was the head of reconstructive surgery and has been a plastic/reconstructive surgeon for over 30 years. He is wonderful! It would be worth the trip to Iowa, IMHO, since you could LITERALLY fly back home in a day or two. One lady I talked to who had the surgery with him was in her 60's and she drove 3.5 hours to see him on her own, and drove 3.5 hours home on her own the next day after getting her bandages changed. And I am so happy I talked to her, as that was the turning point for me after reading this blog. I never worried again. If you have any questions, you may contact me directly, though I do not plan to jump back on here anytime soon, as the regular's circling this blog waiting for their chance to swoop in for the kill have scared me off. But I think you can request my contact info? Not sure. And for all you negative nillies out there...you know who you are...buzz off and stop pissing on everyone's parade!! My Mom is thrilled, she looks great, and that's what counts.

Bits 27 Aug 2009

I also wish her Mom the best possible results & good health, but I have to wonder since when did LSL get ' nurses '?? Personally I couldn't open my mouth for a few days to eat& my ears are still numb 3 yrs later. All I can say is God Bless her & I am happy she's doing well. I think it's very brave of her to go shopping with all those bandages, but don't understand her not wanting to take a picture here. Everyone is different, I guess. I hope anyone & everyone that gets this procedure does well & hope one day those of us that didn't, can really trust this to be true.

Ellemnop 30 Aug 2009

Dr. Hill has been a plastic surgeon for 30 years. He doesn't only do LSL's. He just started doing them about a year or two ago. He has nurses. Several of them. We are going back Thursday...driving from Minneapolis to Des Moines...to have the sutures removed.

Chrystal Eckes (RealFriend) 27 Aug 2009

Ladies -- as Sharon has stated, we must give her the benefit of doubt. Indeed some of us have had really bad experiences with LSL. That is not to say that everyone here has. As Ellemnop stated, her mom is on the mend. Maybe what some of us have done as far as posting and complaining is finally paying off for new patients that are now still opting for the LSL. I hope that Ellemnop Mom has continued success because as some of us know it is hard to overcome the downside of the LSL. Best to all, Chrystal Eckes.

cadence 26 Aug 2009

I am very skeptical of this post. Let's see you in 5 or 6 months.. Sure doesn't sound like my LSL nightmare........

Ellemnop 31 Aug 2009

I guess I can't do anything about your skeptism. But that has been her experience, so far. And I have been grilling her every day on it. But why be so skeptical if someone had a positive experience that differed from yours? How the heck do I know that many of these negative posts...that do not even supply photos...aren't being posted by some plastic surgeon who does not want the competition? I did say I would continue to post photos and updates, though I have since changed my mind after my very bad experience with this website. And I think that is truly unfortunate, as obviously, your surgery and my Mother's surgery were performed by completely different Dr.'s. What a disservice to those who will STILL go through with it, like my Mom did, no matter what any of you say. I was hoping at the very least, to direct them to a great Dr. and clinic so they could maybe avoid your misery. Instead, I am being questioned at every turn. I would give you my email address, home address, phone number, copy of my birth certificate, tax returns for the past 2 years, and my Mom's canceled checks for the procedure, but something tells me, you still wouldn't believe it. Guess I'm a little skeptical, myself.

Sharon at RealSelf (Community Manager) 26 Aug 2009

Hi everybody,

Before this gets too far off course, let's give Ellemnop (and her mom) a chance to tell their story. This is the same chance everyone gets on RealSelf: good results and bad results. We encourage you to share your opinions, but let's try not to attack or make anyone feel bad about their experiences.

We have very stringest spam prevention procedures at RealSelf that are successful in stopping most corporate spam. So please give Ellemnop the benefit of the doubt Re: the authenticity of her experience. If this changes and we are given reason to believe this review is spam, we will handle it at that point.

Finally, I realise that those of you who have had bad experiences with the Lifestyle Lift are skeptical, and I understand those concerns given what you've been through. But, having spoken to most of you at one point or another, I feel confident in saying that you'd rather Ellemnop's mom heal well than be proven right about your opinions of LSL. So, let's all try to stay positive and hope for the best for her. :)

Ellemnop: Best of luck for your mom's recovery and I hope you'll keep us posted on her progress.

Best wishes,
--Sharon

Ellemnop 30 Aug 2009

I appreciate your feedback, but I do feel you have got an army of harrassers on here. Very sad. I didn't even look at this website again until I came back from vacation yesterday because I KNEW I was going to get bombarded with hate. If you want to email me, you may. I believe you have access to my private information? You could also see my Home Staging website, which I am happy to give you to PROVE I picked this Dr. out on the internet for my Mom just like everybody else. But I did a TON of research. I even directed the Dr.'s assistant to this website to show all the nasty posts. She was stunned, to say the least. It is a turn off and I think as other posters have said in the past before being run out of town, it truly gives you only one side of opinions, since the negatives are in attack mode at all times. Who wants to get on here and show them what a good LSL job looks like when you have all these buzzards in the background waiting for failure? Actually, HOPING for failure? This website is of no real help to anyone when you have so many angry bitter people swarming in on every positive experience and accusing them of lying, what's the point? For the record, after meeting with and extensively researching my Mom's Dr., I almost made her cancel after due to all this garbage. While I have no doubt they all suffered, maybe they ought to consider that not everyone has the same experience. Or does that just not occur to them? I have also talked to several who've had the LSL (names given to me by the Dr.) and who DID NOT post on here...and a couple who did not have the same Dr. and did post on here...with positive outcomes like my Mom so far, who are very happy they did the surgery. And several who had the EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE that my Mom is now going through. Very little bruising, no bleeding once the surgery was over, and only slight swelling. We cleaned her sutured area every night with hydrogen peroxide, as we were told. Most nights, there was nothing to clean. (I did it anyway.) And then we used polysporin (hence, the greasy hair)to minimize scarring. For the record, I am going to post one more photo. And then I am out of here. You are all too damn scary for me. And FYI Sharon - You might want to add a therapy link to your blog. I think the majority of your followers could use some mental help to move on with their lives. And I am NOT kidding about that.

Chrystal Eckes (RealFriend) 25 Aug 2009

Hi, not trying to pick on you, I understand it has only been 3 days and I am glad that the surgery went well for your Mom. I do believe that time tells the entire story. I did not post pictures until I was 4-5 months out and no I was not happy with the results I had or how I was treated when trying to get LSL to help me. Again, I do hope her lift lasts and she continues to be happy. Do post her after pictures as she continues to heal. Best, Chrystal Eckes.

Ellemnop 30 Aug 2009

"I did not post pictures until I was 4-5 months out" Exactly!! And I think that says a lot about this website and the followers on here. It seems that people do not post until they have a bad experience and are unhappy and looking for revenge. Why else would you want the world to know you had a face lift? Good luck Chrystal. But I WILL NOT be posting any more photos of my Mom after today. Your little band of miserable's have proven to me, this is not worth my time. My best advice to you would be to try to shake some of the bitterness off your shoulders and move on with your life. Sorry you had a bad experience, but shame on you for blasting others who didn't.

Ada 25 Aug 2009

I STILL say, that if she will go out to eat, shopping, go on vacation WITHOUT washing her hair, sit next to other patrons in a restaurant with her bloody, smelly hair but won't take pictures - you are being paid by someone to post this bull----!!

Ellemnop 30 Aug 2009

Yeah, I'm sure you would. Her hair is not bloody. Nothing bled after the surgery. No puss, no blood, no bandages. Does that dissappoint you, Ada? Wouldn't it be nice if everyone had a bad experience so you could have someone else to bitch with and share in your misery? I now have a ton of photos. But posting them on the web is another thing. She would prefer not to share her secret op with the world. Not to mention, we have been on vacation, and trying to convince a rag like you is not high on my priority list. Bummer you had a bad procedure. But just because your Dr. SUCKED and her's didn't does not give you the right to sit back and accuse everyone. Maybe you need to get a fix by Dr. Hill. I am sure he would do a much better job than your original Dr. Though I don't think he can do anything about your bad attitude.

Ellemnop 24 Aug 2009

I do believe I stated, it had only been 3 days! DUH! Happy you are all ready to jump on the bandwagon and denounce the procedure when I CLEARLY STATED I would be posting more photos as soon as possible. (She does not want to be photographed since she can't wash her hair, yet.) But right now, we are on vacation...only 4 days after surgery...and if I can talk her into it, I will post again this week. And continue to post updated pictures. For the record, I talked to two of the Dr's patients prior to and saw their results...one seven months after and one a little over a year, I think. They looked AWESOME!! And besides a little swelling and black and blue, my Mom also looks great. Kindly read the entire post before jumping on with your negativity. I know it's what you thrive on, but it's getting old.

Chrystal Eckes (RealFriend) 24 Aug 2009

I agree with Dr. Prendiville, Lets see pictures in 5 - 6 months. Please keep us posted and hope your Mom continued success with the lift. Best, Chrystal Eckes.

Ada 24 Aug 2009

HOG WASH!! No one can tell anything with the bandages on - she went shopping, out to eat, going on vacation but won't let you take her picture without the bandages?!!! Something about this post smells!!

Ellemnop 24 Aug 2009

Oh, piss off with your 'something about this post smells.' I am from Minneapolis. I am a Home Stager. I would give you my website and email, but I think you and your attitude smell. I don't want you contacting me in person. Grow up! Not everyone is out to get you.

Stephen Prendiville, MD 24 Aug 2009

I would encourage the readers of real self to understand that a 90 minute procedure on a neck with the degree of obliquity shown is very unlikely to produce an effective and durable result. Showing a patient with a postoperative bandage is hardly considered representative of a result. I would also like to point out that although some patients may be pleased with their experience with this procedure, the ultimate goal of rejuvenative is to achieve a result that is cosmetically acceptable and which makes the patient feel that the procedure was worthwhile. Please post pictures at 6 months to a year for a realistic snap shot of the result.

View answers from Stephen Prendiville, MD

Ellemnop 30 Aug 2009

With all due respect, Dr. Prendiville, I did say it was only 3 days after surgery (see headline) and I would be posting more photos as things progressed. I only posted because so many were saying how HORRIBLE the actual procedure was, so I wanted to show them, my Mom had the totally opposite experience. Originally, I had planned to post every month to show people what they get with this, but the core group hanging out on here are so unbelievably nasty, I just can't bring myself to log in, again. But as long as you have seen fit to hijack my post, I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage the readers of Real Self to understand that plastic surgery and the surgeons performing it are also in business. And like anyone in business, blogging is a way to further their own agenda. So please realize that the Dr's on here who post negatively against the LSL would not be in favor of losing business to a less intrusive, less expensive procedure if it's not something they offer. And also realize, their postings are simply their own opinion. Just like the surgeon with 30 years of facial surgery under his belt who performed my Mom's LSL told us the procedure he performed will last for 15-20 years. I'm just sayin'.

Stephen Prendiville, MD 31 Aug 2009

Ellenmop, this is not a hijacking, it is dissemination of information. Let me say that if you and your mother are thrilled..... more power to you! As an experienced Surgeon, part of my duty is to treat patients with dignity, respect,and skill. The second part of my duty is to educate patients as to the most appropriate treatment choices available to them. Although it is theoretically possible for an individual to be happy with a Lifestyle Lift procedure, my colleagues and I have seen many dissatisfied Lifestyle patients. In fact, I have yet to see one individual who was happy. What I have seen is adverse scarring, unmet expectations, and unhappiness with money spent. Lifestyle Lift is a very good marketing company with a very appealing infomercial. It states that it offers a "revolutionary" procedure, with results in"about an hour", without "potentially dangerous anesthetics". Unfortunately, these claims do not ring true in a significant number of cases. Objectively speaking, the result obtained will depend on the Surgeon doing the work and the care the Surgeon puts into the individual case. This obviously varies for Lifestyle Lift. Even the best of Surgeons, when using speed as their main priority, will produce results which are inconsistent. Since I realize the appeal of well marketed idea, I think it only appropriate to educate the public that due diligence is necessary when considering facial rejuvenation. Good luck with the healing and let us know how your mother is progressing in the months to come.

View answers from Stephen Prendiville, MD

9553anon 14 Sep 2010

I had it done on August 12th. It's one month and I absolutely love it. I was able to go back to work on August 23rd. I was still a bit puffy, but without having to explain to everyone What I had done, I just said I had some "filler." My scars are nearly gone. My MD was very highly credentialed and took time both pre and post surgery. Everything he said came true. What bothers me about all of these postings, is that people also have pain, swelling and bruising with a regular facelift. It's surgery, and you certainly can get a lousy surgeon with a regular facelift. Don't get me wrong, this procedure is not for everyone. Don't expect miracles. I had a bit jowling, and not a well defined jawline. Now the jowls are gone and my jawline is amazing. It's not going to take the lines away from the sides of your mouth. I was lucky. I din't have those lines. I'm just turning 55 and barely have any wrinkles at all. Research your doctor and ask for them to fully explain the outcome. I never felt a thing during the procedure. I took the pain pills and was uncomfortable for a few days, but after that, I was fine.

9553anon 14 Sep 2010

How does your mom look today?

Ellemnop 15 Sep 2010

She looks great! The scars disappeared months ago, though she still has one tiny, thin, barily visible red line around the back of one of her ears. It's not even an inch long, and unless you look at her head tilted under a light, it's not noticeable. And the Dr. recommended some kind of ointment for wrinkles she still had that were not addressed with the LSL...they were on her forehead...which she loves and has made a huge difference in her appearance, as well! (For the record, the ointment was not through his clinic, but through a totally different company...he directed her there, as it was cheaper.) Anyway...my sister is in her 50's...she's 10 years older than me...and has scheduled an LSL in January from the same Dr. She had a major weight loss about 9 months ago, and the LSL is going to address her saggy neck skin. So yeah...still really happy she did it!! And now a walking advertisement for the LSL in our family! Ha!! So how about you? Still good?

More Lifestyle Lift Reviews

I am 50 yrs of age and didn't like the jowl's I had developed. Had LSL, Laser and Upper...

I am 58 and recently widowed but not ready to retire socially. I had a sagging neck area...

I really needed to have this surgery performed. The last five years had been terrible for...

View more Lifestyle Lift reviews

Lifestyle Lift: Stories

3 Days After Lifestyle Lift and All is Well (78 Years Old)

My 78 year old mother asked me to post. She just...

Comments (25)

Lifestyle Lift Photos

Featured Doctors

Lifestyle Lift: Stories

3 Days After Lifestyle Lift and All is Well (78 Years Old)

My 78 year old mother asked me to post. She just...

Comments (25)

More Lifestyle Lift Reviews

Lifestyle Lift Photos

Featured Doctors

Related Lifestyle Lift Q&A

Welcome Back

Join RealSelf

Retrieve your password

Check your email