Sculptra: Stories

One other comment. My income level is within the threshold for patient assistence. However, I have substantial assets as well as access to monies from my family. Also, I paid a portion of the $7000 when your fee was $1000 prior to the patient assistence. NONE of what I have stated is fabricated.

I am sorry you feel I am trashing you. However, I did in fact check my records and found that I paid you $7000 for basically minimal results. I will say again, it was definitely NOT worth it. I have since seen a plastic surgeon and used Radiesse and the results are far better after only one treatment. Needless to say the cost compared to Sculptra were minimal. The Dr. told me to come back in about 8 months for a touch up. You had me come back every few weeks and cost me a ton!

Dear Joey, I am surprised of your comments in regard to your treatments implicating my name as you are NOWHERE to be found in my patient population. Not a file, not a picture, NOTHING. I document every patient and every procedure with pictures. Whether they are here for Sculptra injections or any other filler, Botox or Laser procedure. None of your "claims" add up. You mentioned you paid $6,000. That would mean that before 2006 (when I began charging $700 per procedure for facial wasting) you would have had to have received 10 treatments. That is completely impossible. The patient assistant program only allowed patients a maximum of 6 treatments back then. Recently, Dermik upped that number to 8 but only after 18 months have passed since the 6th and last treatment took place. Even back in 2006, how would a patient on the assistance program have to pay "more than $600.?" So Joey, when exactly were you treated? What name did you register under the assistance program and what name did you use in my office if you really were ever a patient of mine anyway? I have treated thousands of patients successfully with Sculptra and it is quite disturbing that you would create this monstrous story and put a negative spin out there on Sculptra, the one medical device that is allowing thousands of HIV+ patients return to regular lifestyles without having to face the stigma associated with HIV. I have treated enough people many times over to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is completely impossible for ANYONE to receive 10 treatments and for it to not have a dramatic result. Additionally, it is impossible for anyone who only had "moderate" facial wasting to need 10 treatments to correct it. If "the cost was really secondary" to you, I doubt you would have qualified for the assistance program. If I told any patient they would need 6 treatments, it would be obvious to anyone that this person had facial wasting. I do not understand why you take a forum such as realself.com to manifest you being unsatisfied. If you are truly a patient of mine, please call me at {edited contact information} and I will be more then happy to discuss your grief. Yes, according to realself.com, Sculptra has only about a 56% satisfaction rating but that is because too many people have voiced their negative opinions about it after having being treated by an unexperienced physician. All it would take to get sculptra's ratings in the 80% or 90% area is for another 10 or so patients with great results to post their positive remarks. Sincerely, Gervais Frechette, MD Editor note To contact Dr. Frechette click on his user name.

Ok, I will try to address your questions as best I can. I had numerous treatments because I though they were necessary to improve my face. The doctor in question first said I would need about 6 treatments and he kept adding more from there. Mind you, my facial wasting was at best moderate, not like I have seen with others. I even have several superficial friends who often say others we know have the AIDS look. They know me for years and are clueless of my staus. The friends of mine that do know my status felt Sculptra was not worth it. I had the money, the cost was really secondary to me. Just look at the stats on this site. 47% of the people felt it was not worth the cost. That means you have a 50/50 shot of being satisfied. I was not. I know a couple of others that have gone for the treatment or two and they felt it was cost prohibitive. As far as any alternatives, I think there really is no easy answer or "magic pill". I just try to look my best and that's it.