Facelift: Stories

He did my face -- lift, eyes and a nose job -- and I was extremely happy with the work. Very natural.

You guys are incredibly fortunate he did not require a "non-disclosure" agreement prior to services. I fell into that trap and cannot tell others my surgeon's name. More power to you!

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He's very charming initially. He became very rude when I said I was upset about the result. I also have a deep scar under my chin which pulls the skin at an odd angle so it is very obvious. He didnt think it was a problem, of course.
I am no longer in that area. If I do anymore work, I will try to get someone in the Bay area...

Dear Chico,
Perhaps you could try Dr. Charles Virden in Reno, I think he is a very good doctor. I know how disturbing it is not to get the results you were told you would get, and on top of that, to have an outcome that looks odd. I hope you can trust another Doctor to fix what Bonaldi created and claims to be a good result. I agree with you, I would NEVER RECOMMEND DR. BONALDI TO ANYONE.....NOT EVEN SOMEONE I DON'T LIKE.

In response to Dr Bonaldi saying he would be happy to discuss my surgery concerns, when I tried to discuss the he was very dismissive and told me I had
a "great result" and he had even hasked his people in his office and they agreed. Since he pays the staff in that office, thier agreement doesnt surprise me.
My particular concern is that I now have one attached ear lobe and one unattached,making it look odd to wear earrings so I havent worn any now in 10 years!!! He didnt think it was a significant issue.
Also when I tried to show him pictures of me at a younger age, he was uninterested. Most of my friends said thier surgeons requested those pictues. Dr. Bonaldi doesnt even want to look at them.
I am relating MY experiences and I would not recommened this doctor based on his skill level and willingness to fix the problems.

Talk is cheap Dr. Bonaldi.....you can write or say anything to make yourself look good but what tells the story are your results!

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Dear Chico943,
I must say that I was very distressed to read your comments. I am very sorry to hear that you where not happy. However, I must address the specific issues that you have outlined. First of all I do 12 times the national average of face lifts done by board certified plastic surgeons in this country. Secondly, I have over 5,000 patients in my computer database, and everyone of them represent my work. I would never mis represent myself. Thirdly, on the rare occasion that I do have an unhappy patient, I will always address the issues and do everything in my power to fix them at no cost , I pride myself on having happy patients. Additionally, I do not show patient results to collegues. The fact is that the problems you have discussed would be simple to revise. The only conclusion that I can make from this is that you must be thinking of another doctor.There are plastic surgeons , for instance, that use stock photos for branded face lifts. I am not one. None of these issues are consistent with my practice. Again, I am sorry you had a bad experience. I would be very happy to discuss any of these things with you at any time. Regards, Louis Bonaldi MD

Dear Chico934

I am sorry you are disappointed with your surgery. I also perform a lot of facial rejuvenation procedures and I wish I could say that my record is 100% perfect. There is always some degree of unpredictability with any surgery. Unfortunately, that is the risk we all as surgeons and patients have to take. National data shows that overall satisfaction rates with traditional facelift surgery is about 76-78%. It means that almost 1 in 4 patients is somewhat disappointed with results at the end. Obviously, the degrees of disappointment are different.

The key to solving the problem is to have an open communication with your surgeon. If you have a concern, or you feel that your surgery did not deliver what you were expecting, call your surgeon's office and schedule a visit.

I am confident that your board certified surgeon will take your concerns seriously and will do the best he or she can to address the issues. Dealing with complications, side effects and unpredictability of surgery is also a part of having surgical practice.

It is very understandable to have some degree of hesitance if there is a perceived tension between you and your surgeon. Another appointment is not a committment to have another surgery, it is an opportunity to have another open discussion about your concerns.

I would suggest making a list at home. Make a list of what you were expecting and what you did or did not "receive". This way you both can have a more productive and meeting. Trying to have this conversation without preparation may be difficult because of emotional charge on both sides. We are all at the end only human.

If at that point you are dissatisfied with the answer you get, you do not have to committ to surgery and look for another opinion.

I wish you well.

Sincerely,
Boris Volshteyn MD MS
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Do you have before and after pictures you would feel comfortable sharing?

I hate to hear when people go through things like this. The whole point of having cosmetic procedures is to feel better and more confident about ourselves, not the opposite.

There are many highly qualified plastic surgeons out there. Maybe you should consider looking into some in Las Vegas or another major city you would be able to visit fairly easily...I think its worth getting several opinions and then deciding what feels and sounds like the best solution to your problem.

I am sorry to hear that Chico943. I had a facelift, fat transfer and brow lift last November so I am curious what was actually done/not done that it would "fall" so fast.

With respect to the "falling" I wonder if when the swelling went away that the skin seemed slacken. Maybe a fat trasfer to add fullness might help firm things up.

It would be interesting to see what a different plastic surgeon would have to say about it.

OF course he maintained that he did a lot of work underneath, I have my doubts. I didnt do enough research and I learned a valuable lesson.
That said, I'd like to have it redone but I'm very worried that I will again get a bad result.

I wonder if you had just a skin facelift compared to a full facelift (where muscle is repositioned)

The scars being VERY wide suggest this as if just skin in attached /stretched it is quite difficult on the scars compared to also being attached with muscle.