Its a bit different to get this done out of USA but there were a lot of great things about it. The Chajchirs are a family of surgeons specializing in everything from micro-abrasion to tummy tucks. They have a private clinic that is safe and comfortable. Its really nice to be one of a few patients instead of being in a big hospital. Abel Chajchir was on the Board of surgeons when his son and he gave me my surgery. He was even in one of my school books when I was growing up. They weren't just my surgeons. While I was there, they treated me like family and I will never forget their kindness. I was sort of a prodigy because I needed to get a lot of surgeries done at once. I was amazed at their skill. I did have some complications but they were very normal. Your hormones change when you go through surgery sometimes and you go through a mental disorder. They were very kind to me as I did go through this period where I was super worried about everything. One thing that a lot of people don't understand is when you get surgery, like a face lift, there is a period of healing before you look good. Its normal for you to have heavy scars right after surgery. You have to put vitamin E on the scars and they have a special silicon you can buy that heals them really well too. If you are in that mental disorder and you just go by what you see right after surgery, you aren't being realistic. Its like when you buy a piece of land with trees and brush on it. It looks so much better after the land is landscaped. I was really happy with my surgery. I am not including cost because that depends on the person, age, health, surgery etc. but it was less than 1/6 of $150000. Updated on 20 Jan 2014: Updated on 20 Jan 2014: I guess the most important thing is that the other reviews here expected USA surgery in Argentina and appear to judge their surgeons by USA culture. As a Georgia girl, we are used to being reasonable and durable. In Georgia if you get a deep cut, you go to the Hospital, and they bandage you and send you to the Supermarket for a stitch kit. Up in the North states especially, they are giving you stitches and if it isn't perfect, they are getting sued. You can't judge the surgery you are getting by USA culture. USA to Other Countries is like an old dentist compared to a new dentist. The old dentist is more likely to save your tooth and the new dentist is more likely to pull it. Maybe the new dentist has the state of the art equipment but everything is more manufactured, MORE MONEY and less detailed. I had a friend who got the $8000 USA Boob job, 3 bottles of percocet and her breasts look like implants. They have that assembly line look. What happens if you don't like your $8000 US Boob job? The surgeon says ..."pft".. You have to find a new surgeon who will charge you $15000 to correct it and you may have to go out of area because most USA doctors will stand by the doctor who gave you the surgery you do not like. If Dr. Chajchir gives you breast implants, he isn't working on an assembly line. He is an artist. He will try to improve your body, not just plant some silicon in your chest. He will sculpture you and if it needs a few more strokes, he will work it until its a "Mona Lisa" and that is the difference between USA plastic surgery and Dr. Chajchir. The culture there is different too and medicine there is different from USA. The Argentinians are more self serving and less reliant on others when they go through a procedure. You see this in most other countries, just as you can walk into a pharmacy and buy medication without a script in most countries outside of the USA. It isn't wrong or bad, its a different culture. So, if you are open to adventure and new experience, this is definitely for you. It is very inexpensive compared to USA. Also, because these doctors are "old school" and aren't on the assembly line, they are taking on hard cases. In USA, they will screen you for surgery and often people are turned away or they have to undergo additional precautions which in the end, cost more money. For example, I asked my friends Breast implant surgeon how much it would cost to give me implants. She said $12000 instead of $8000. She said I was more of a risk because I was overweight. Dr. Chajchir doesn't do this. They accept a lot of different clients and proceed with every one as an individual. They told me, if I wasn't happy with anything they would work it out. Each surgery was important to them and they were very concerned about their reputation. Overseas, I have never heard of a surgeon asking someone for next of kin in any country where English isn't the primary language. I know many people, including myself that have had surgery in other countries and I haven't just had surgery in Argentina. To expect other cultures to adhere to our own medical guidelines is like expecting to travel as a woman in the Middle East without a head scarf. Its really giving in to cultural bias. In other countries it is actually BAD to ask for your next of kin. So, don't judge people by USA culture. Remember the Michael Jackson case where they presented him as a pervert because he shared his bed. They forgot that he was an International Superstar. In other countries, sharing your bed is a friendship, a closeness, and a normal thing that has nothing to do with sex. In Iran I was sleeping in the same room with my husband as his Mom, Sister and my Mom. We were sleeping. lol I hope this helps people to understand and LOOK AT MY FACE in the after pic. I am 41 there!!!! Love the Chajchirs!!
My story. I had a cute nose as a boy, and when puberty hit, it went big. A jewish nose and I'm not jewish. When people used to say I had a big nose, I never saw it as my nose as remember, I had a cute nose, so it was always like having something growing on my face. As a teen, my nickname was ratboy from friends, and comments here and there about how big my nose is. I always figured I'd get it fixed... one day. Adulthood. My nose now suited my face...sorta.... until I was late 20s. It seemed to go from a large strong nose, to one that was starting to droop. I felt that as my youthful looks faded, people would just see the big nose. At age 28, people were mentioning my nose for the first time in years. At 29, I was in Argentina and it started to bug me. (photo 1) While looking up info on IPL for freckle reduction, I came across articles on nose jobs being so cheap in Argentina. $1,500, whereas it would be $8000 plus in Australia or USA. I booked an appointment at the Barrancas Medical Center. Dr. Abel Chajchir, and his son run the cosmetic clinic in the the suburb of Belgrano. The place looked like a mansion and the staff were great. Both the father and son looked at my nose and said it would be easy. I asked about any possible complications, they said impossible. They were so confident that my mind wondered whether or not I did have the most basic nose to fix, or whether or not these two were snake oil salesmen. The customers in the waiting room were both foreigners and locals. Because there were locals too, I figured that he must have a good reputation. But it was too casual. "when do you want to book this in, next week?" I decided to go for it. I was in Argentina, away from any family or friends who would stop me. I could do my recovery (which should be 2-4 weeks) in privacy, away from judging eyes. I rented an apartment for a month and paid for the surgery. The thing that struck me was that they never asked for next of kin contact details. What would happen if I died under anesthetic? It just wasn't up to a Western standard... but I went ahead. I didn't bring in photos of what I wanted, just talked to him. He said straight nose, I said I wanted a curve. He said a curve is a womans nose, I said I meant only a slight curve. Surgery day. I go under, wake up, gasping. They come over, help spit out the blood in my mouth. I go into a recovery room and stay there over night. It didn't hurt at all, only if I were to touch my nose. I go home. One week later, the bandages come off. I have two black eyes an a new nose. I hate it at first. Looks turned up too much. Miss piggy stuff. But when I got home I did the side profile photos. I like it. I might just have made a great decision. (photo 2) One month goes by and still my breathing hasn't recovered. I take off on holiday to the south of argentina. I notice something photos, my upper lip is hanging low. I notice that it doesn't lift over the teeth when I smile. People joke that I look creepy when I smile! So the muscles were definitely affected. Getting worried. Two months. My left nostril was so tight that I couldn't fit a cotton tip through it. It was that small! A nightmare. Back in BA, and I visit. He charges nothing for these follow ups. During the visits, he stretches it, he puts needles in, etc, and it is painful as hell. 4 months later, I am still not better. My new turned up nose makes my chin look very pointy (a smaller nose will highlight your other features, for better or worse.) . I go to him about fixing my pointy chin, which he tells me is dubbed a witches chin in the industry (fair call.) He proposes cutting off the point and creating two edges to give a square jaw look. So $500 for the chin, or $1000 if I use a gel implant. I say "why so much?" He brings me the packet and it has $500 written on a sticker on it, and claims the manufactuer charges that for the implant. I thought BS as it looked like he did it himself so I opted for 1st type. On the day of the chin surgery, he proposes doing lipo on my tummy to get some fat out and fill out my chin. I am shocked that he dropped that decision on my on the day. I said no way. I didn't want any complications or scaring on my tummy. So the chin worked out good (no more pointness and a square jaw look.) Back to the nose. It's St. Patricks day, 4 months after surgery and i go out on the town. I come home and look in the mirror. Might have been the booze but as you can see, I look disfigured. I took a photo. My nose seemed like it was sinking in. I couldn't breath properly and my once ok looking nose job is starting to fall apart. Plus a dimple (or sink hole) has appeared between my eyes. I wanted to kill myself. What had I done to my face?????? I go back , and he puts in a filler in my nose and between my eyes, fixing it. Winter comes, I've been in Argentina for 7 months and it is time to go. I move to LA, where I see a cosmetic surgeon. He says its still very swollen and they will not touch it for a year minimum. One year and 4 months after the surgery, the swelling starts to finally go, and I'm getting definition back in my nose again. I see another surgeron who tells me that I've got a great looking nose, but he will straighten the airways in my nose for $5000. I pass. I see another surgeon who says they look pretty straight. 3 years on, and I one day start deciding to STRETCH the nose, by making facing, sticking out my tounge, scrunching up my nose, etc, etc. It actually helps. Try to move your nose around like a bunny and do all sorts of faces and you will stretch the inside of the nose, helping your breath. My breathing is not 100%, but it is over 90% better. Today, 4 years on, and I don't know whether it was worth it. I look back at old photos of the big nose, which was getting worse, and think "no way could I go back to that." But if you were to put me back in the shoes of me would I want to go through all that again? People tell me that I have a nice nose now, and to me it isn't really a nose job, but more of a nose restoration, as I feel like I'm back to having a nose in proportion to my face, as it should always have been. As for recommending the doctor, I feel that all cosmetic surgeons, regardless of who they are, have their patients who they deliver and the patients who they fail on. Dr. Abel Chajchir didn't charge me for any of the follow up procedures to fix it. I heard that doesn't happen in the West. Had my nose stayed as it did when it was swallon and sinking I'd swear up and down that he was a butcher. But now I wonder whether all the complications were just my body's fault. Did my nostril over-heal and that's why I couldn't breath? I'm happy with my nose now. I'd tell anyone who gets work done that a nose doesn't calm down for 2 YEARS after it's done. It is a HUGE SHOCK to the nose. It is super sensitive to touch for over a year afterwards. You really need to go into this knowing that you could experience what I did, and worse still, your nose mightn't have the recovery that mine eventually did. Ask me any questions you like, I'd be happy to help.
This is a revision of my previous review. I hope it meets the guidelines. I had a facelist and Necklift done by Drs. Abel and Gustavo Chajir in Buenos Aires. Sadly I am left with permanent disfiguring scars as shown in my photos. I paid an additional $3000 in cash for an arm lift and I woke up to find it was not performed. They wouldn't refund the money I gave them before going under. I woke up after surgery on the table, unable to move the entire right side of my face and body. They were walking around the room cleaning up. I told them (slurring because I could only move half of my mouth) "help I'm paralyzed". Dr. Abel Chajchir reprimanded me angrily saying, "You're not paralyzed." As I went in and out of conciousness my legs started convulsing wildly. I was terrified. When I was ready to leave Argentina I asked for my money to be refunded for the armlift which they didn't perform, Dr. Chajchir said "Ok" and put me in a recovery room in the basement to wait for them to get the cash $3000 US out of the safe. I waited over an hour then finally went upstairs to the Office and was told the doctor had gone home. I tried to save money by going abroad. I regret my decision and can't afford the revisions. I never thought one of those "plastic surgery nightmare stories" would happen to me. I am traumatized and left disfigured. I will post my photos soon. In having trouble doing it from my iPhone Updated on 1 Feb 2014: First surgery had poor result. This is after the 2nd surgery done to repair my neck lift. Updated on 1 Feb 2014: As one can see the final result of the revision surgery performed by Dr Chajchir is disastrous. I would never recommend Dr Abel or Gustavo Chajchir to anyone. Updated on 1 Feb 2014: 45 degree view of final result : ( Updated on 2 Feb 2014: Dr Chajchir approved a corticosteroid that I was taking. The medicine causes bad wound healing. That accounts for the bad scars. The result of the neck lift was not caused by the medicine but by poor surgical skills. I let them do a second surgery to "fix "the initial neck lift.... I should not have gone back...it looks 100 times worse than some loose skin. No wound-healing problems on the revision surgery though... I discontinued the corticosteroids before that one and healed within a week. Updated on 5 Feb 2014: I posted my pics for surgeon suggestions. They remarked on the incorrect surgical techniques used. They have suggested a completely new facelift and neck lift, fat transplants, surgical scar removal and more. I feel discouraged and stupid for giving my hard earned money to foreign doctors and can not afford thousands more for to repair their mistakes. I might make a home equity loan. A friend was attracted by a dog and her nose was practically torn off. She had it repaired by a reconstructive surgeon in Texas. I will consult with him and decide if I will have a 3rd surgery with him. I will continue to post the rest of my journey....
