I had the Quicklift procedure 8 months ago. Along with a cheek and browlift.
I have been unhappy from the moment I woke up. One cheek was pulled up to my side burn area and there was a deep lateral sweep from the corner of my mouth going up to my ear. The other side of my face was barely lifted.
I understand the drawbacks of the mini-lifts. My doctor states that the Quicklift is a modification of the Macs lift. More manipulation is given to the SMAS muscle. He compares the results to be almost as good as a full facelift.
I am very unhappy with my Quicklift results. My face whole face is now asymmectrical. My doctor thinks I look great. I don't like the face that I have a hugh lateral sweep on the left side of my lower face and sagging skin on the right side of my face. He is willing to lift the right side with an incision around my sideburn. Pulling up in that area does lift my face....He also want to inject lipo-dessolve into the lateral sweep to flatten it out. I don't think this will work.
Updated on Aug 2, 2009:
Updated on Oct 6, 2009:
Left side of face pulled too much. Right side of face still hanging
Lower right side of face is loose and fuller. Dr. only willing to lipo to reduce fullness
Later sweep on left side of face with head slightly tipped forward.
Right side with head tipped. Looser skin along the jawline
Neck bands do not look attached.
Here is a before picture taken with a window shining on the left side of my face. The nasial labia fold and marionette line on the right side are shadowed. So during surgery, the left side of my face was lifted. I woke up with a sagging right side.
Here is a picture that I took 4 months after my surgery. Yes after my surgery. I placed the lighting on the right side of my face. Now you see the nasal labia fold and marionette line that was left sagging.
Update.....10 months post op. You can see the right side of my face is flat with the bulk sagging in the jowl area. I tipped my head slightly down to bring out the rings around my neck. You can see that the right side of my neck was pulled up more.
Update......10 months post op. Here I am next to the picture my doctor took before my surgery. I really don't see any difference at all.
Update....10 months. I have my head completely straight towards the camera. I am not flexing any muscle in my neck. This loose skin and bands showing through the skin.
This is a much better picture of the sweep mark. I only have this on the left side of my face.
276 posts
26 May 2009
A lot of Board Certified Plastic Surgeons agree that sometimes the 'new' procedures are about marketing and do not deliver the results you are looking for. A facelift is a complicated surgery and it takes time to deliver results that do not give the indication that a facelift has been performed and that you look fresh and rejuvenated. With Warm Regards, Trevor M Born MD
4 posts
17 Jun 2009
How do we know these pictures aren't the before pictures? I am not believing you and I think before you destroy someone's reputation on here you should make sure you have exhausted every means with that doctor to fix what you do not like.
19 posts
18 Jun 2009
Hi Lynn This is an after picture. This sweep on my face is caused from a hard pull up on the skin to the left side of my face. The direction of pull made the middle of my face hang over. This has been very upsetting to me. The other side of my face was barely lifted...I now have a lopsided face and everyone I know can see it. My doctor just looks at me like I am crazy and says he can't see anything wrong. How would you feel?
19 posts
18 Jun 2009
Hello again. I've tried to add photo's but it's not working. I'm sorry lynn if you are not believing me. I have way too much to say about this whole experience and to not be believed makes this feel even worse. My doctor said that he could not lower the side that ws lifted too high because it would cause the eye to pull down. He will not lift the other side because he said I would end up with another sweep mark. So he is only willing to do liposuction on my lower face to try and even things out. The doctors on this panel have said that liposuction is not a good idea. My doctor is also willing to make an incision around my sideburn to try and lift my lower cheek. This also lifts the hanging skin on the jawline, but to expect a 2 inch incision to hold up and entire side of one face is unrealistic. The skin will only pull down again. I will be more than happy to send anyone pictures. I don't think I am ruining anyone's reputation. I am simply telling my experiences with this doctor. If you want a crooked, lopsided face, he's the man.
1 post
18 Jun 2009
Hello Teresa, Don't waste your time with the Lynns of the world. You don't need to prove anything to her (or him). There are unskilled doctors performing surgeries all the time and you are not the first person who has had unsatisfactory results. It looks like Lynn signed up just to refute your review. Maybe she works for your doctor. You paid $7,000 for your facelift and you have the right to a reasonable result. You didn't get it and your doctor should give you a refund. I wouldn't want him to do anything further since he wasn't able to do it right the first time. Get your money back and go to someone who knows what they're doing. Good luck and I hope you get justice and the result you paid for. Katie
4 posts
19 Jun 2009
I don't work for any doctor. In fact, I signed up to do research for my upcoming decision to have surgery. I am allowed to have an opinion on here just as you. I have brought up teresa's dissatisfaction to my doctor in case I experienced the same thing. He told me that he couldn't make any promises but would do his best if I had issues after surgery.
1 post
21 Jun 2009
I believe you Teresa.
19 posts
23 Jun 2009
Dear HelloFromTheresa This is Dr. Volshteyn and I would like to respond. The Quicklift procedure is a modification of MACS and S lift technique very well described in the plastic surgery literature. The procedure elevates both skin and underlying SMAS layer. The additional components commonly performed with Quicklift were suspension cheek lift also described as a part of extended MACS lift and FAME technique, liposuction on the neck and jowls, plication of the platysma (neck muscles) and lateral subcutaneous brow lift. Quicklift in essence is the name, not a cookie-cutter procedure. Each patient’s surgery is technically somewhat different from another based on location of desired improvements, skin and deep muscle quality, amount of extra tissue and so forth. The duration of the results is also variable based procedure, skin quality, age, nutrition, smoking and so forth. Same is true for any facelift procedure. That is why it is very difficult if not impossible to guarantee the results of surgery in advance. There is no plastic surgeon who can honestly say that 100% of patients he or she ever operated on are 100% happy. Neither can I. We perform a lot of facial rejuvenation procedures and vast majority of patients are very happy. However, not everyone is. The reasons are numerous: technical problem, the tissue quality, suture positioning, age, expectations and so on. That is why we do make corrections, adjustments and revisions in order to keep our patients happy and to improve the overall results. This is a part of providing plastic surgery care. Sometimes the improvement is possible and sometimes it is not. It is important to keep in mind that the key to successful correction is to have open communication and discussion of specific concerns. Once the specific imperfections are identified they can be corrected. Plastic surgery is an art of repositioning living and breathing tissues. There is also very complex anatomy involved. The plan of correction has to deal with specific concerns and take in account all the factors above. However, if someone is just overall unhappy about the result it is impossible to correct. About the asymmetry. The face is not symmetric in 100% of people. Actually the asymmetry makes us unique. So we cannot expect the perfect symmetry after surgery either. The goal is to utilize the naturally existing facial features and asymmetries and lift them in the balanced fashion. This way we get a natural look that still reflects the same facial features that we started with, may be a few years younger and more refreshed. One of the concerns you shared was the asymmetry of the neck lines related to the angle of the lines and distance between them. If someone has a thin neck and these lines are visible the direction of the neck lines can be taken onto account during the lift. However, we cannot rely on the neck lines alone as we try to get the best overall result and lifting effect. If the patient has a fuller neck and has liposuction for neck volume reduction, it is impossible to predict where the neck lines will form. Also, it is impossible to “just lift one side” and expect an isolated improvement. Our faces are very complex structures and any lifting of a component of the face will also result in alteration of surrounding areas. Any correctional surgery must take that in account. That is why prior to any correction a detailed discussion of outcomes and an acceptance of possible risks and side effects are needed. We will be happy to address your concerns, however, as you understand, it is very difficult if not impossible to compete with 10x magnifying mirror and a ruler. During our last visit you expressed your dissatisfaction with the result. You also indicated specific concerns related to difficulty with applying makeup and styling your hair. These concerns are difficult for me to put in surgical terms. That is why I asked you to look at your face and give me a more specific input as my perception of the result may be different from yours. In order to target my efforts in the right direction I need a specific guidance from you. That is supposed to be a topic of our next discussion in August. I understand that it is difficult sometimes to do that on the spot. That is why we asked you to make a list of what you would like to have corrected at home. This way our next discussion could be more focused and productive. If you desire a second opinion on your surgery, I encourage you to obtain it and I will be happy to provide you with copy of all your medical record including before and after photographs. Let me emphasize that I am happy to see you and provide whatever correction is needed. I respect your right to express your opinion. However, I do not find the open forum, such as this, being productive in providing real practical solution for the concerns you have expressed. I would encourage you to keep the appointment you have scheduled and make the next step in planning process for targeted revision procedure that would address your concerns and provide the improvement you desire. Sincerely,Dr. Volshteyn
11 posts
29 Jun 2009
Dear Teresa. You have every right to complain when not pleased with a procedure you paid thousands for. I disagree with your doctor when he says, "I do not find the open forum, such as this, being productive..." People who have undergone the same problems can give you their takes on the procedure. All kinds of advise can come your way through an open forum, as long as the members leaving comments are earnest in their comments and not doing it for some alterior motive. I had the quicklift about 18 months ago and am not totally happy with mine. Doctor didn't tell me I'd have pull marks (stretch marks) behind each ear and below on my neck. I'm not happy with that. And the overall result was fine for the first month or so, but now I look about as I did prior to the lift. Mine was $5000. Not worth it. And Lynn should cancel her membership.
4 posts
30 Jun 2009
People come on these forums to express their opinion. Am I not allowed to have a differing view? If I had a post on here, which I will after my facelift, I would expect honest answers, not just answers that I want to hear.