Ms. K

Massive Swelling - Disappointing Results - Tallahassee, FL

Sorry, this shouldn't have been posted here! I did it via my email and didn't realize where it was going....please ignore!

When I saw him during the one year visit he had an intern in with him, so I was very careful not to sound strident or crazy. I used the words “with all due respect, Dr.” and pointed out that one side of my face still remained more swollen than the other. His reply was to say that it was normal for a person to have one side of their body a different size than the other. I asked him for a partial refund because I did not get the results he had indicated, particularly in my eye area. He offered to do another Temporal Brow Lift (lifts the outer 1/8 of your brows) for me instead, charging me only the fee for use of the facility (I didn't do that.) He also again suggested Botox. I said that I wished he had told me during the initial meeting he couldn’t do what I asked (get rid of that sagging between my brows), that I wouldn’t have had the brow-lift. He didn’t say anything. I told him, nicely, that I thought fat injections complicated healing time too much, and that the injections in my cheeks had settled so that now my eyes look more hollow than before. His reply was that fat injections were now considered "state of the art" in plastic surgery. I told him that I had a friend who went to a Dr in Destin and he told her he didn't do fat injections because they didn't produce good results. He said that he didn't know that Dr but that many Drs used them. Finally, I told him that I thought that he underemphasized the facelift part of the procedure and overemphasized the fat injections. And I told him that NOT ONE PERSON had commented that I looked better, refreshed, or noted any kind of a difference (other than asking me if I was on steriods!) I was talking to one of my friends about the plastic surgery (I thought I had told him) and he said "what surgery?" And "what did they do"? That about sums it up. I didn't get into an argument with him. I didn't push the refund after asking him once. It wouldn't have done any good. I'd like to state once again that I don't think Dr Kirbo is a bad DR. He was voted Tallahassee's Best Surgeon and therefore he must do some beautiful work. I just think he probably does a lot of minor procedures, such as skin cancer removal, and not a whole lot of intensive procedures such as face-lifts. For one thing, Tallahassee is a small city yet we have three good size plastic surgery practices here, with large practices also nearby in Destin and Thomasville. I asked his nurse at a follow-up appt if he did a lot of face lifts and she said "yes, two or three per month." To me, 24 to 36 per year is NOT a lot of a face lifts. It's also possible she over-estimated the number that he does:) My mom's facelift back in the 90's gave her many years of enjoyment. I learned from her that whatever makes you feel better about yourself, go for it. Good luck to you in finding the very best surgeon possible for your procedure.

What did the Dr. Kirbo say regarding the results from his surgery? Also, did you ask him for a whole or part refund given the bad results?

Thanks for asking, Sharon. Yes, I think it did. While both sides of my face swelled extensively, the left side swelled more and that is the side with the most complications. The left side is puffier than the right, which gives my face a disproportionate look and a fatter appearance when viewed or photographed from the left. The left side also has a larger area of tightness and numbness than the right. During my follow-up appointments the Dr. reassured me that it would take more time, and that I would see the final results one year out. I have my one-year appointment in three weeks, and it has been a struggle to accept that I will likely have to live with this awful tightness/stiffness the rest of my life. Also, I suspect the fat transfers (from my abdomen) into my face may have been partly responsible for the months-long swelling. As the under eye fat deposits have settled into my cheeks, I have a more hollowed-out look in the eyes and apple-like cheeks. This looks odd as when I smile my upper cheeks each have a lump-like appearance. Plastic surgeons disagree on the cost/benefit of fat transfers, and for those folks considering them I recommend researching the effect on healing time and the long term results. Lastly, at my one-year appointment I plan to repeat all of the above issues to Dr. Kirbo.