Facelift: Stories

You're using the same dr. that messed up in the first place ? A LSL dr???

Read your posting NHaven. I am having a revision for my jaw and neck in 10 days ( 4 months after my original surgery) could you please advise me as far as recovery for your revision? My recovery was not too bad and I am concerned it may be worse going through it second time. Are you happy with your results now? Hope so!

Once again, you're using the LSL doctors that messed you up?

Wow, you're like me, I only waited four months for the revision. Originally, I went in for a neck lift, but was shocked that the doctor didn't do it! He took a little tuck under the chin but nothing was done behind the ear into the neckline and no skin was removed. The revision actually went much better because he undermined and secured the neck muscle. That caused a much more secure, less painful feeling. Since I knew what to expect I was comfortable with the drains and sutures and all that. I already had the recliner set up and soft foods prepared for the week. Overall, the revision was much easier than the initial. The only difficult thing, he tightened my neck so aggressively with the revision that I felt choked. Don't be afraid to ask for ativan, if what you feel is anxiety and not pain. I'm glad I did the revision. It's not fantastic, but definitely better. Did your doc do anything to your neck and jaw the first time around? If it was just an inadequate tightening he may have to open up the original incisions in the temple area and around the ear. Best wishes to you!

well, that is encouraging to hear that it went so well. I guess we at least know what to expect! Are you glad overall, that you had work done? Sometimes I wonder, but I also think it is easy to forget what bothered me about my face and I have to look at pictures and then I think "Oh, yeah, I do look better." My doctor did a neck lift, and neck liposuction. He also did a jawline tuck, no actual lift. He just did not remove enough skin so I have some slight jowling left. He is going to add a midface lift this time and only charging me for the anesthesia. So, basically a revision and a new procedure added. What were your original procedures exactly?

I did not use a LSL doctor. I have alot of confidence in my surgeon. I don't think it is an exact science. I take it you did not have a good experience?

NHaven you should really put this in one of their commercials with Debbie Boone!

What a lot of pain and healing you have left ahead of you of further procedures that you have to go thru now, and to be charged for it too boot. They should be paying you! So many to redo and new clients to lure in. They are very busy! Tell me please that you have been to an independent ABCPS to discuss alternatives and to address if this is what you really need. All the best with all of this.

kbarbee,
Was your original experience with LSL?

I wish you all the best. I know healing takes a lot of time. I also look OK in most pictures but "beat up" looking in certain lighting and mirrors. Perhaps a lot of the self consciousness we feel is because we have just exaggerated our flaws. I heard that after facial surgery we look at ourselves with a mental magnifying glass. You probably look much nicer than you think you do. I don't know what was worse, the physical discomfort or the mental anguish I experienced during this ordeal. I only know I did not agonize over my marionette lines the way I have agonized over the results of this surgery. Thanks for your reply. It really helps to have support from others. The Doctor tells me that I need to wait one year to 18 months to see final results and for the tightness and discoloration to get better.

Thanks for your reply. Hey, the skin sagging didn't get worse, that's a plus! I know everyone responds differently but the prolonged choking feeling surprises me. Glad to hear yours eventually got to the point that the panic passed. Hope that's my story,too. Funny, I thought I'd be one of the people that "was just thrilled!" If you look closely at their pre and post pictures, though, many have been taken at about 4-6 weeks when the jawline looks great because of the swelling. I think a little residual skin sag is pretty common and that's why many people get a touch up between 6 and 12 months post.

I know I'm jumping into this discussion months later, but wanted to say it how unprepared I was (all of us for that matter) for the unexpected choking feeling and prolonged tightness thsat occurs after facelift and necklift. I am nine months post op and still have that pulling feeling under my jaw and at my neck. It comes and goes with varied severity but is almost always there. I feel like I am going crazy sometimes but I don't want to tell my family, especially because all of this was self inflicted. I was very pretty before and only wanted a little refreshing around the mouth and jaw due to marionette lines. I never thought I needed a necklift or eye bleph, but let myself get talked into three invasive procedures. I have post op staining under my eyes and my jawline feels unatural to me because my jowl was raised above the bone. I pray every day that at one year my face and neck will relax and that my skin tome will go back to normal. I had very good skin for my age as well and now I feel I've even ruined that. Although I am hearing post op stories worse than mine, I am definately not one of the "thrilled to have done it" people and every time I write the big monthly check to pay this off I wish I could take it all back and did non-surgical things to improve myself. I would love to hear from anyone who is a year post op and has improvement, as this seems to be the magical time when we see results. (Actually my doctor now says it could take 18 months!)