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“Facial Fat Transfer/Grafting to Cheeks and Hollows of Eyes - Beverly Hills, CA”

schmie2

Worth It
Spent: $2,000 in Beverly Hills, California

Comments (313)

Updated 9 Jan 2012

Posted 15 Jan 2011

This has been really hard. I got really bruised and also it hurt a lot. I felt like there were little bugs in my face that I could not scratch out. I am really swollen and look like a cat. Everywhere i go people stare at me and make snide remarks behind my back. Hopefully, this will be worth it but it is taking forever for the swelling to go down. It hurts really bad to smile and laugh too.

f you look at my rhinoplasty review you can see my videos I made and pictures too.

Updated on 18 Feb 2011:
I am 6 weeks post-op now and I have improved a lot. I made a video for my 6 week post-op.

My congestion went away but now I caught a cold so it's back again. My nostrils are still kinda uneven but I can live with that. My skin on my nose and cheeks is horrible right now. It is still really dry, rough, flaky. I can't seem to get rid of it. Any advice?

Updated on 29 Mar 2011:
I am 3 months post-op in 2 days so I decided to post now. I am a million times better. I do not think I look "catish" anymore and actually I really like my cheeks and don't want them to go down more. If they do go down a lot more than I definitely would not be against getting a fat grafting touch-up. I would do it with Dr. Motykie again because he did a good job. Now that I know the entire healing process and what to expect, I would not be freaking out about it like I was the first time around. Hopefully, I will not need a touch up and if I do, I hope it is not for at least a year. I think fat grafting is worth it if you go to an experienced surgeon. Before doing this procedure though, you must know that the healing process is rough, as you can see in my videos. I got really depressed at first because I looked so strange, but now it's all good and I am more than happy. Please feel free to e-mail me any questions regarding this procedure if your thinking about doing it or have already done it.

Updated on 17 Apr 2011:
Ok, so the other day I was examining myself in the mirror and I noticed that I have developed dark purple/blue/reddish thick veins under my eye area. I never had that before the fat transfer. I had some under eye circles but not huge veins that were visible to the naked eye in a non-magnified mirror. I had a lot of serious bruising under and in my eyes and maybe it is leftover from that but it looks bad and I am not happy about that new problem. My cheeks do look more plump and I am happy about that. I had so much bruising that it would not surprise me that the bruising was so severe that those veins burst and now they are permanent. I guess nothing is perfect. I still give it a "very good" rating below because of the fact that it filled out my face.

Updated on 13 May 2011:
I made a 4 month post-op. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z11OFVWaZBA

Updated on 22 Jun 2011:
I am 6 months post-op now. I am ok with the fat grafting. It filled in my hollows which is good.

Updated on 14 Jul 2011:
I made a video showing my pre to post-op in a slide show format. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7h8a2QnC6s

Updated on 3 Nov 2011:
I am 11 months post-op now. I am very happy with the results of both my nose and my facial fat grafting. I still have a hard time breathing normally but hopefully that will improve with time too. My skin is a lot from the Vi peel too. I love my nose. To me, it looks natural and not overdone. I appreciate doctor Motykie's natural approach to surgery. At first I was very scared by the way I looked but that was just initial shock because I was so swollen. I am happy to say that I am very pleased with his work and I rate him a 9 out of 10. The only reason I do not give him a 10 is because he is just really hard to get in touch with. Other than that, he is great.

Updated on 3 Nov 2011:
I meant to say 10 months post-op :) Oops

Updated on 9 Jan 2012:
Hello everyone. As you may have noticed, I am no longer responding to any comments or personal messages. I posted my images and my experiences on here to help others who were having this procedure done not to be judged and harassed. I though this website was about support and questions. Unfortunately, in my good attempts, I have gotten (for the most part) many derogatory comments and I do not believe in bullying or talking bad about people and am choosing not to be any part of it. I do appreciate those of you who have been supportive. I wish all the best for those of you who have undergone this procedure or for those of you who are thinking about undergoing this procedure. Happy new year to all.

This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.

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My Doctor: Gary Motykie, MD

My rating:

Really hard to get in touch with but he is a great doctor.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7h8a2QnC6s

Comments (313)

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Sharon at RealSelf (Community Manager) 20 Jan 2011

Hi schmie -- Thanks for sharing your story. Those post-op pics look so painful! OMG. How are you doing now?

schmie2 20 Jan 2011

My swelling is improving but I still feel like I look like a cat (but it is better). The pain is completely gone from my cheeks and under my eyes. My eye is still completely blood shot though. This has been, and still is, a hard process for me.

Sharon at RealSelf (Community Manager) 21 Jan 2011

I can only imagine! Has Dr. M been very supportive?

schmie2 21 Jan 2011

He just acts liker everything is perfectly fine and everything I have gone through is completely normal. While on the other hand, the medical assistant is a little taken aback from mt struggle and was very shocked about my blood shot eyes etc. I only saw him really quickly for my pre-op the day before my surgery, Jan. 4th, and then my 1 week post-op and that's it. Everything was really quick with him. I have to talk to the medical assistant through e-mail if I have any questions. I do not get to hear answers from him. He never explained a lot of the pros and cons to be about either procedure I got (rhinoplasty and fat grafting). He did not go through exactly what he was going to do in surgery; he just kinda told me what he though was wrong with my face really fast but did not say, for example, i will break your nose and narrow your bridge in an open rhinoplasty etc. I feel a little left out of everything, if you know what i mean.

Sharon at RealSelf (Community Manager) 22 Jan 2011

Yeah, that wouldn't sit right with me either. :( At least his office (i.e. medical assistant) is there for you, if only by email (trying to see the silver lining...). I really hope things get better for you soon. Rhinoplasty recovery can take a long time, but hopefully the more immediate swelling and bruising will be gone soon.

BTW, one of our other moderators, Angie, has had rhinoplasty in the past, so feel free to drop her an email if you have any recovery questions, since she's been through it herself.

ninanina 22 Jan 2011

your starting to look better (the cat thing)and most peoples nostrils arent exactly the same...im thinkin bout doin fat grafting under the eyes, how where ur results with that?

schmie2 22 Jan 2011

The results are what you see on the videos. The doc told me that a lot of the time hollowness of the under eye is just under projection of the cheek so you should talk to your surgeon carefully. My swelling has gone down in my cheeks and I will post another video on youtube soon. I am not in pain anymore in my cheek area or under eye area either. My eye is still blood shot though. Have you thought about facial filler as opposed to fat grafting? Filler can be more predictable and is less invasive than fat grafting.

ninanina 22 Jan 2011

Im just now starting to look at my options, i like the idea of fat grafting because its permanent

schmie2 24 Jan 2011

I don't know how permanent it is, really. The fay cells remain, so if you gain weight, they will gain weight too. But your body tends to absorb the fat relatively quickly so the results do not last a very long time. Everyone's body is different obviously but that is what Dr. Motykie told me.

ninanina 22 Jan 2011

your eye will prob b bloodshot for awhile but def it will go away, i got hit in the eye with an umbrella once n it stayed red for a couple weeks

schmie2 24 Jan 2011

It has been 19 days since surgery and my eye has been improving a little everyday

MissTreated 18 Sep 2011

I thought you said you were just starting to look at your options since the fat lasts longer? (more permanent)?

Annie639 25 Jan 2011

I think u are looking so much better...are the blood shot eyes from the rhinoplasty? How is the bruising from the fat grafting or is that from the Rhino?? Had Rhino years ago the nostrils will even up and look great!! Fat Grafting next!!!! Good Luck!!!

schmie2 26 Jan 2011

Thanks for the kind words Annie639. I am not sure what the blood shot eyes are from and Dr. M did not make any suggestions. I guess it could be from either procedure. I think the bruising is a combination of both procedures, since they both cause significant bruising or swelling, especially if the nose was broken like mine was. The bruising is a lot better now and barely noticeable. My eyes are getting a little better each day. It has been exactly 3 weeks post-op today-January 26th. I will be making another video today so you can see my progress. My tip looks too big and wide for my taste still but i hope it is just swelling and will go down. When you get your fat grafting, just be forewarned that you will look really scary at first. Also, make sure you choose a really qualified doctor because there have been many horror stories regarding fat grafting results. If you have any other questions regarding what I went through with the fat grafting let me know. I am more than happy to answer any questions. I hope all goes well for you!

lrfred1 19 Feb 2011

I think you look really good - your nose fits your face perfectly, and I don't see the "ski-slope" that you see....I'm sure over time things will look better and better. Thanks for posting these videos, very informative - hang in there!

schmie2 19 Feb 2011

Thanks :) I guess I am over critical because it is my face and I analyze it too much.

schmie2 30 Apr 2011

Hey. I have a question for you, since you said you had rhinoplasty years ago. I am 4 monthhs post-op (almost), and today I was putting a head band on, an elastic one used to workout and wash your face etc., and it slipped and got caught under my nasal tip and pulled my tip up. It hurt and is still sore now. Do you think this could cause a change in the tip? Unfortuately, I cannot go see my doctor or get in touch with him, so I need advice. Thanks :)

reasonnotrules 30 Apr 2011

I think that since you are already almost 4 months, your nose should be fine. I'd only worry if I was fresh post-op and the nose hasn't had a chance to heal yet. Your incident might cause a little prolonged swelling but I doubt it would change the tip. Especially since it sounds like very mild trauma, it's not like you got hit by a door. Of course, I am no expert, and you should ask your doctor but he will probably tell you the same thing.

schmie2 30 Apr 2011

Thanks for the response. I appreciate it.

Nicola00 30 Mar 2012

Thanks so much for your reviews. It's much appreciated as I've been thinking of doing fat transfer and this is so helpful. I have so much respect for you taking time to do this. I'm sure you've helped a lot of people. You look so healthy and beautiful in your after pictures. You should be pleased with the results. Hope it lasts, if you need a top up at least you know where to go and what to expect.

Misty H. (RealFriend) 28 Jan 2011

Hang in there Schmie2. I had a face lift and fat transfer in November 2009. I liked what the additional fat did to my face so I had a secondary fat transfer this past November. The bruises from my first surgery lasted 6 weeks. The swelling lasts for quite some time as well.

Healing is a slow process. It takes time. Be patient and things should get better.

Jacqui99 11 May 2012

Hi Misty, I went in for a face-lift consult today and the surgeon said she would not do a face lift, she said I have lost a lot of volume in my face (I'm 56) and that she wanted to do fat transfer. I am now researching it and I saw your post. Six weeks really??? She said I may need it done twice too. Did the fat transfer only last two years for you???? Thank you for sharing.

Misty H. (RealFriend) 11 May 2012

Hi Jacqui

It has been over 2.5 years since my first fat transfer and I am still enjoying the results. I just had lunch today with someone that I haven't seen in 10 years. He looked and me and kind of stared. He said I looked really great and he wanted to know how I had been getting younger while he got older.

My second stage fat transfer was 1 year after my first one, not because my first one wasn't any good any longer, I just wanted to add a little fat to my temple area where bone was starting to show through and in my forehead. You need less Botox if your forehead has some fat between skin and bone.

Yes, my black eye really did last for 6 weeks. I am very pleased with my results but I don't try to sugar coat it because I think having realistic expectations is very important.

The doctor can only transfer so much fat at a time because it has to revasculate to survive. So a second stage fat transfer is often needed depending upon the volume of fat lost.

I am very pleased with my fat transfer results, but as you can see there are very mixed results here on Real Self. Really do your research before deciding on a surgeon to do it. Check before and after pictures, but ask to speak to actual patients that had the procedure are year or more. If the surgeons you are looking at do good work they will be fine with having former patients speak with you. If they don't want you to speak to former patients then that should set off warning bells.

For privacy the surgeons won't give you the name or numbers of patients, but they will ask the patients if they are comfortable with calling you. So don't expect names and numbers, just expect them to contact the patients and have them contact you.

Good luck.

reasonnotrules 19 Apr 2011

Hi, I've been following your progress and I'm primarily interested in getting fat injections to my lower cheeks (under the cheekbone). That area has become sunken over the last few years making me look gaunt/masculine.

I think you look great and very natural in the videos. May I ask how are your cheeks doing? What and how much fat did you inject in your cheeks and do they look natural in person as well? How much plumping did you experience and do you know if it's permanent (I heard fat resorbs?)

Thank you so much for making the videos and keeping us updated. You look great and I think your nose will definitely look better over time. I've had rhinoplasty too and it took a whole year for the swelling to go down.

reasonnotrules 19 Apr 2011

I forgot to mention that I am still relatively young (like you) at 27. It seems like not too many get fat transfer in their 20's, and that's why I'm especially interested to see how you're doing and how you feel about the procedure.

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“Facial Fat Transfer/Grafting to Cheeks and Hollows of Eyes - Beverly Hills, CA”

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