POSTED UNDER Lip Lift Reviews
Lip Lift - Very Long Recovery Time - Atlanta, GA
UPDATED FROM koje67
5 months post
6 mos review
koje67June 15, 2015
$900
At 6 months, I still have undesirable scarring and a few underlying sutures coming out. I regret ever having this done, because of the bad scars left behind, and the very slight difference the surgery actually made. My PS said she would do a revision at no cost, and though I really appreciate the offer, I never want to go through this long, horrible healing process ever again. I've considered having laser treatments done to the area (scar is red and indented where sutures split and became infected), but my dermatologist said it might be best to wait a year to see if there's improvement before doing anything else.
Best of luck to those who have had this surgery and are healing, or those who are considering it!
Best of luck to those who have had this surgery and are healing, or those who are considering it!
koje67's provider
Replies (3)
January 25, 2016
I, too, had this surgery, and the same problem with sutures. I wish I had you compassionate Doctor. I feel my doctor was straight out of "Medical Apartied". He just doesn't seem to care. I can not have a revision because of the way the skin was cut. I am horrified. I clearly don't understand what he did and why. After a botched surgery, he asked me to come back in two weeks with absolutely no instructions. I asked him about aftercare, and he told me, "I could take a shower the next morning". I am a very clean person and wondered why he would say such. My husband and I are very educated, and we are wondering why I was treated different than his other patients I read about on Realself. I, too, don't want to post photos because I am soooo embarrassed at the way this surgery was performed. I asked my husband, "do you think he deliberately tried to scar me for life." I am really, really at my wits end.
May 1, 2017
Thank you so much for your honest review! I, too, went through hell as a result of having this procedure, so I completely understand how emotionally draining the experience is! I hope your scar is looking better at this point. xx
UPDATED FROM koje67
2 months post
9 weeks
koje67March 11, 2015
Unfortunately, l am still not completely healed, and fragments of sutures still seem to be opening up the skin and surfacing. For those of you who have never experienced this, let me try to explain… the skin will look like it's healing, and then a small crack/slit opens. You'll see a tiny fragment, many times it looks like a very small head of a pimple (which is the semi-dissolved stitch), and in some instances, it's just a minuscule piece of clear plastic. Once it comes out (sometimes accompanied by puss - sorry!), the wound will heal in about a day or two - but then another one will open up in another area. I feel like I have picked out dozens and dozens of these so far! And because it's not healed, my scar is still very red and sensitive. I've found that blue emu oil has helped with the sensitivity and crepey-ness of skin, however, not to the point that I want it to! I have a hard time wanting to leave the house because of the way this looks.
At 9 weeks, I feel like this will never heal, and as you can imagine - it's beyond depressing. I have no idea as to what the scar will look like since there's really not a defined scar line, it just looks very red and raw, with cracks, and bumps beneath, and on sides of my nostrils. If this were anywhere else besides my face, I don't think it would bother me as much, but it's the first thing you see when looking in the mirror, or when someone looks at you. My kids keep asking when it's going to be better, and I tell them, hopefully soon, but at this point I'm having a hard time convincing myself of it.
My doctor has been very kind and empathetic, and says while this is rare for spitting sutures to go on this long, and that at 3 months the spitting sutures will resolve and it will begin to heal.
I'm still so perplexed as to why this is happening because I've had so many surgeries in the past with dissolvable, and non-dissolvable sutures, as well as glue without any type of reaction like this. I wish I could understand why I'm having such a difficult time now. I'll give another update in 3 weeks (3 month post-op) and note any improvements. I'm trying to be patient and remain optimistic, though it's becoming more and more difficult for me. And for those who want to see pics - I'm still not comfortable posting. Sorry :/
At 9 weeks, I feel like this will never heal, and as you can imagine - it's beyond depressing. I have no idea as to what the scar will look like since there's really not a defined scar line, it just looks very red and raw, with cracks, and bumps beneath, and on sides of my nostrils. If this were anywhere else besides my face, I don't think it would bother me as much, but it's the first thing you see when looking in the mirror, or when someone looks at you. My kids keep asking when it's going to be better, and I tell them, hopefully soon, but at this point I'm having a hard time convincing myself of it.
My doctor has been very kind and empathetic, and says while this is rare for spitting sutures to go on this long, and that at 3 months the spitting sutures will resolve and it will begin to heal.
I'm still so perplexed as to why this is happening because I've had so many surgeries in the past with dissolvable, and non-dissolvable sutures, as well as glue without any type of reaction like this. I wish I could understand why I'm having such a difficult time now. I'll give another update in 3 weeks (3 month post-op) and note any improvements. I'm trying to be patient and remain optimistic, though it's becoming more and more difficult for me. And for those who want to see pics - I'm still not comfortable posting. Sorry :/
Replies (1)
April 18, 2015
Thank you for keeping us updated. This is really important that you shared it with us. Thanks!
UPDATED FROM koje67
1 month post
Compassionate and Empathetic
koje67February 4, 2015
Let me start again...I think my first review might have been misunderstood. By no means was I blaming Dr. Morgan or questioning her judgment on choice of sutures. I realize that some individuals have adverse reactions to sutures regardless of what type is used, and I also realize people heal differently. At the end of my review, I gave Dr Morgan 5-stars in every category based on how kind, empathetic, knowledgable, and available she made herself to me. I also mentioned that her staff could not be nicer. My intentions were to share my experience with others who might be considering any kind of cosmetic surgery - no matter how small or simple it may seem. In hindsight, I shouldn't have mentioned who performed my surgery - because the problems I experienced had nothing to do my doctor's performance. In fact, I might have posted this is the wrong place - as I said, I wanted to share my recovery process.
The point I was trying to make was that despite going to a great doctor, following aftercare instructions, and being healthy - things don't always go as smoothly as you'd like them to go, and it can take a toll on your emotions. I realize that I will eventually heal - just not as quickly as I anticipated. My apologies if my post came across differently – Dr Morgan is once of the compassionate doctors I have ever met, and I would highly recommend her to others.
The point I was trying to make was that despite going to a great doctor, following aftercare instructions, and being healthy - things don't always go as smoothly as you'd like them to go, and it can take a toll on your emotions. I realize that I will eventually heal - just not as quickly as I anticipated. My apologies if my post came across differently – Dr Morgan is once of the compassionate doctors I have ever met, and I would highly recommend her to others.
Replies (2)
February 7, 2015
How do you feel now? Still have pain? How do you feel about the aesthetic result? Does it look good? We would love it if you would post pics!
February 7, 2015
Ps I don't see any lip lifts on her page! How did you know she had experience doing them?
February 9, 2015
I'm at 5 weeks now, and while I'm seeing improvement , it's still taking longer than I would have liked. I go in for my 6 week follow-up appt. next week. The office called to see if I'd like to come in sooner, but I'm still healing and nothing can speed that process up except for time, but I did appreciate them reaching out to me.
Like I said before, I clearly have an adverse reaction to dissolvable sutures (probably all brands), some are still coming out, and the suture line is still very tender and pink, so I don't want to put makeup on it for fear that it might impede healing. I found the silicone strips (dr recommended) helps to flatten bumps and healing. I think the end result will be good, and that the scar will heal nicely, but for me personally , the time it took to heal doesn't make it worth it. Once I forget about how long it took, I might think differently, but honestly recovery time is a big factor for me in choosing to do any elective/cosmetic procedure. I want zero time down time or as close to that as I can get - as you can probably guess, I'm very impatient! If I were one of those people who recovered in a week or two, I'd say it would definitely be worth it. Actually, there was a woman back in October who posted her lip lift pics, and had amazing results with the same doctor. She healed in a week with no visible scar. I know that lots of people will not release their photos to their doctors to be posted, simply because they don't want to be recognized. That's why so many doctors don't have before and afters on their websites, even if they've done the procedure dozens of times.
I know pics would help - but I'm really still not comfortable doing so. When I'm completely healed, I'll reconsider posting.
February 16, 2015
How are you doing now? I completely understand your feelings in terms of the down time and discomfort vs the trade off. I'm slowly coming to terms with a recent TT and my expectation for shall I say an easier recovery. I'm scheduled to have this procedure soon. What if any advice would you share? I'd greatly appreciate your feedback. I hope that in the end this phase will be a distant memory with a stellar outcome. Best wishes!
February 17, 2015
Today, I am 6 weeks post-op, and go in tomorrow for my follow-up visit. Just yesterday, the little holes from my sutures finally closed up, however in a couple of spots under my nostrils there are small divots from the infection I had. I am hoping those will fill in as the collagen starts to rebuild. I also have a few raised bumps along incision line, but I think all the sutures have either come out or dissolved at this point, and the bumps will soon dissipate.
There's not really an incision line that is visible, but the skin is crepey - very thin, wrinkled and red. I don't like putting makeup on top of it because it looks like I am trying to cover something up - which I think looks worse than the redness (like when you try to cover up a bruise). I've read that time is the best healer, but like I mentioned before, I never anticipated it taking this long. Even at 6 weeks, I am still not comfortable being around people I know, since it's obvious I had something done. While my lip looks natural subtle, the redness/scar is a giveaway, and it still feels, and looks a bit raw.
Last spring, I had MOHS surgery on my face, and while that was not pleasant and I had stitches and swelling, it was at least something I could explain, i.e., 'I had skin cancer removed'. As far as the aesthetic appearance of the lip - it looks very natural and subtle, but the redness/scar is a giveaway. I feel like there's really no way to explain this without seeming like the most vain person in the world - if that makes any sense!
Like you, I had a skin only TT (14 mos. ago to tighten the skin from multiple pregnancies), and while the swelling was bad for a long time, the scar was not a problem. In fact, it was barely noticeable at 6 weeks. And because it was covered by clothing, I was not as self-conscious about it.
As far as your upcoming lip lift, I hope you will be one of the 81% who has no problems with recovery. The odds are in your favor!
You will look freaky for the first 3 days from swelling and distortion, but that's expected, and not a concern. Icing helps a lot. I would keep your incision covered for as long as possible following surgery. I would recommend NOT getting it wet for at least 3 days (I think that's when mine became infected). And do not start using any scar cream or silicone strips until all wounds are closed, and there is no longer any crusting. After bandages come off, you can use vaseline to keep it moist.
As healing progresses, a few things I noted that I'll share with you in case you have similar issues…
With dissolvable sutures, even when I thought my wound was completely healed, all of a sudden a spot on my incision line skin would open up/spread apart to release another stitch. Kinda gross, but 'spitting sutures' look similar to a tiny pimple, and if squeezed, a tiny piece of material will come out. (I had these up until yesterday, and might still have more). For deeper dissolvable sutures, sometimes a small hard bump will appear on the surface of your skin near incision line. Apparently, this is your body trying to break down the foreign object. And over time, these become smaller and flatter.
Each week I see small improvements. So I'm sure in time, I will eventually get to a good (or at least better) place. Luckily, I work from home, or this could've been a lot worse. With that said, I would still really like to go out soon without being so self-conscious!
I truly hope you have a successful surgery and very speedy recovery - I hope this info helps!
February 17, 2015
I can't tell you how grateful I am for your generous feedback! I'm considering dissolvable sutures because I don't live in GA but now I'm not sure if I should risk the possible irritation and spitting sutures. I've had a BL and TT where dissolvable stitches were used and I did great with no irritation. I did have 1-2 stitches poke through with the breast. I'm not sure that this is a guarantee that irritation will not occur this time. Food for thought. Again, thanks for sharing and I'm happy to hear that things are improving for you! It's winter anyways....you'll be great by spring. Perfect by summer!
February 17, 2015
Glad I could help! Yes, I've had dissolvable sutures before, but maybe because the sutures were not as deep with the lip lift, the out layer of skin is affected differently - maybe more sensitive? Or maybe because it's on your face, you pay closer attention to it!
February 17, 2015
Dear Koje...will you post some photos so all of us at realself can view your progress. I had a disasterous lip lift with a vermillion type procedure. That is where the cutting is at the lip instead of under the nose. My PS did refund my $; however, nothing will ever compensate for the fact that I have no cupid's bow or philtrum (the little indents from the nose to the lips). We all need to be more careful when doing any type of cosmetic procedure. I also had a problem with the dissolvable sutures...kept spitting them out):)
I underwent what was supposed to be a simple thread lift procedure, which was marketed as a little bit of down time, some minor swelling, but was really supposed to be undetectable, even the first few days out. I went through absolute hell. 2 weeks later, I don't look like myself at all - there is just so much swelling. In fact, I could tell by the Doctor's reaction that this case was a bit out of his depth, so I sought someone else out with more experience to help treat me. There are many who go through these procedures without complications & inspire others to jump on board - it's natural, as enthusiasm is contagious! However, if there are any complications, the emotional toll can be really, really difficult to deal with. I'm really glad you spoke up about your experience to serve as a caution.
Be well, and I do hope your scar has improved since your last post. Please do keep up updated if you can!