This is a photo of my ugly face before my surgery I didn’t really want to post it as I cannot bear looking at it but I suppose it does show the difference surgery can make and the change it can make to someone’s confidence
I had a Sliding Chin Genioplasty following implant removal in mid October 2017 with Ms Caroline Mills. I had a silicone implant placed in 2004 by Dr Peter Butler, which was subsequently replaced with Gore-Tex implant 2006 (the second implant was placed abroad during a rhinoplasty revision as the surgeon felt its was moving around to freely). Despite the second implant being pourous, over the years the implant moved and positioned itself on the left side of my chin giving my lower face a very asymmetrical masculine appearance. I have always had an asymmetrical face and decided that it was best to leave it alone as overall I was quite happy with my face, I was able to overlook the appearance of my chin most of the time. In addition I had researched removal of porous implants and it seemed like it would be a difficult undertaking especially given that mine had been in situ for over 10 years. Earlier this year I started experiencing intermittent numbness along the right side of my lower lip downwards onto my chin pad so decided to consult with Ms Mills. I explained the issues I was having along with not liking the appearance the implant gave my chin. Ms Mills referred me for a CT scan with Cavendish Medical then invited me back for a second consultation. Once my scan results came back I was very promptly able to see Ms Mills to discuss the findings. It was apparent from the scan that the implant was sitting on my mentalis nerve which could possibly explain my symptoms of numbness. Ms Mills consulted extremely well having a very relaxed and down to earth approach. Ms Mills made note of all the information I gave her, examined me and then took her time to explain what my options were. I must add, I have worked as a healthcare professional in the surgical/ cosmetic industry for over 10 years therefore I come very well informed and have an articulate but realistic approach to surgery. I had already decided that I did not want to go down the route of replacing the existing implant as my scan indicated some level of bone erosion. Ms Mills took into account my aesthetic requirements and managed my expectations professionally and most importantly realistically. I went away knowing what could be achieved and came back for a third consultation with more questions prior to committing to surgery. Ms Mills was able to use computer imaging to show me what she thought would look like a natural outcome for my facial features. Even though you cannot be MM specific with any surgery it gave me a good idea that we were both on the same page. Ms Mills took her time, answering all my questions, I was conscious that I was taking a lot of her consulting time during the final consultation. Ms Mills was adamant that it was important for me to be fully satisfied before going ahead with implant removal as she was aware that I was generally quite happy with my face. She explained that the shape of my chin would be very different to what it was with the implant in place. I had the surgery in mid October at the Weymouth Hospital. Ms Mills spoke to me prior to surgery and once again we went over what I wanted to achieve. I had the surgery with an overnight stay in what I consider to be an excellent facility with great attention to patient care. I was incredibly swollen from day 2 with swelling tailing off around day 6. I regained full sensation to my bottom lip in the first 24 hours. I am now at day 19, most of the swelling has started to subside. The sensation has started to return to my lower front four teeth with some numbness around the chin area, I can see that things will continue to improve in the coming weeks. I surmise from my recovery/ bruising and return of functions that Ms Miss would have been very gentle and meticulous during surgery. I am aware from my implant replacement in 2006 that bone/ soft tissue manipulation during an operation can have an impact on recovery, I was noticeably swollen for at last 6 weeks following that procedure. I saw Ms Mills the following week at which point I was still very swollen. She asked me to get in touch if I had any issues. I followed aftercare instructions and rested well and so far, (touch wood) my recovery has been uneventful. I wrote this review as I wanted to share my experience with Ms Mills. I am very happy with the results so far, I can see that as the swelling goes down it will continue to change and improve. I now have a very natural well proportioned chin which doesn't look as wonky. Ms Mills has managed to achieve the best-case scenario for me. I have always remained realistic however a chin genioplasty can be challenging operation as you look almost unrecognisable for some 7-10 days. I can see how disheartening it can be when you are anxious about the outcome. In my experience, you are not in position to make any judgment on the chin for at least 10 days and any knee jerk reactions to appearance before that point can be detrimental to your acceptance of the procedure you have had done. Over the years I have worked with and met many surgeons, I would highly recommend Ms Mills, she put me at ease and was very knowledgable about the procedure. I was very comfortable around her and most importantly she listens to you and will manage your expectations effectively. If you are looking for a highly experienced professional with a relaxed friendly approach then please see Ms Mills, she is an excellent surgeon. I am haven’t posted any pictures on this website for professional reasons however I am more than happy to speak to anyone and share my experience.
I chose Caroline as my surgeon because she is someone that listens carefully to what I am trying to achieve . She's attentive to my concerns. She doesn't judge me and I feel we can have an open and trustworthy relationship. I can easily talk to her about my previous surgeries having gone wrong and she's very caring and sympathetic . Caroline ensures that my expectations are always realistic . She tells me what can be achieved through surgery and what can not. She's not afraid to say no and at times offers alternatives to surgery. She talks to me about risks and ensures I have understood them. We discuss complications and reassures me that if something were to go wrong that she would be there to support me unlike my previous surgeons who would never take any responsibility and have always left me on my own to deal with the consequences . She tells me how long a procedure lasts for and that in the future I may need possible surgery. I never feel rushed in any of her consultations. Each time she gives me over an hour and answers all my questions no matter how silly they may seem! She makes me feel comfortable and at ease. There is never any pressure from her to have any surgery. She gives me a lot of time to think it through and always sends me a follow up letter after each consultation. Caroline is very professional and will always give you an honest opinion . Caroline has already proven to me that she is someone who's main focus is the patient and making them happy and feel good about themselves. Patient satisfaction to her is everything. I previously had a chin tuck and sadly the scar didn't heal in a straight neat line. It was bumpy. It wasn't her fault as everyone heals differently but she corrected the scar without any fuss. She has a duty of care towards you and abides by it and I feel safe in her hands. I chose a female surgeon this time round because I truly believe women have far more of a sympathetic approach. Her consultation room is relaxed.
I’d got to the point where I didn’t like looking at photos of myself. I looked tired, had bags under my eyes and my eye lids were hooded – I looked as though I needed a long holiday. My profile was starting to sag a little also and I was beginning to feel old. At 46 I really wasn’t ready for this. Mrs Mills was recommended through a friend of a friend so I made an appointment to see her for an initial consultation. I was immediately at ease, her team are warm and friendly, her rooms in Wimpole Street professional and reassuring. Mrs Mills took a lot of time with me exploring what I was unhappy with, what I wanted and getting to know me. She took a whole set of (rather unflattering photos), explained all my options and gave me a rounded view of the positives and potential downsides and consequences of surgery. She gave me time to think and reflect on our consultation without pressuring me in any way. I decided to have a mini face lift, upper and lower eye surgery under local anaesthetic in Harley Street. I chose this option to minimise time off work. The surgery was blissfully uneventful and the aftercare I received from Mrs Mills’ team was superb, I really felt looked after and cared for, no question too stupid or too trivial! It was less than 4 days before I could leave the house wearing sunglasses feeling like a celebrity. I was back at work within 2 weeks and trekking in Madagascar within 4 weeks. I feel and look amazing. The results are subtle, my friends have commented on how well and refreshed I look. No one has guessed I have had surgery, in fact I tell people as it has made such a difference to my confidence that I am happy to share my secret! I thoroughly recommend Mrs Mills and her team. Warm, professional and highly talented. I’m (almost) looking forward to my next one!
I can't recommend Miss Caroline Mills enough. I managed to badly cut my upper lip across the middle of the philtrum, which caused the skin and tissue to die and thus formed a very noticeable scar. Caroline was recommended to me by a friend who worked with her at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. Despite her long waiting list, she was able to fit me in within a few days as an emergency and was very understanding about the distress I was under (which for me is one of the benefits of having a female surgeon look after you). She was very personable, and clearly explained the treatment options without rushing (which has been my experience with some private doctors in the past). I think she usually allows a full hour per consultation. I went in wanting to have the scar repaired under general anaesthetic, but she convinced me to have simple steroid injections done under local anaesthetic despite being happy to pay for a general anaesthetic and surgical procedure. Her honesty and drive to do the thing that's in my best interest (as opposed to the thing that makes the most money) was what set her apart for me, and I think is rare for a private health doctor. Just 6 months later, the scar is barely visible (see the picture below) and wouldn't have believed that simple injections could have had the results that it did. I would recommend Caroline to anyone thinking about a procedure in future as she's fantastic. Irene Chang
My appointment went great. She was careful to not push me into anything, she took all options into consideration, was attentive and asked all the right questions. A good appointment overall, as an isolated experience. The problem sits mostly around her administration. Probably the worst I've encountered, not just in this field, but any private practice ever. It started from the very beginning, should have been a red flag. Got in touch, nobody came back to me. Insisted over a couple of channels with an eventual call back.After months of wait, post appointment it took them two months (TWO MONTHS!) and me chasing several times to get a quote for the procedure. It made me realise that they're just not interested in my business. It also made me really worried about post-op care. If I had to chase them to take my money what would have happened once they did?Overall she could be a great surgeon, I guess I will never find out. She was decent enough to prompt admin to refund the appointment based on how painful the experience was.I personally didn't think it was worth the pain, the chase and the waiting times while also worrying whether they'll pay attention to me post-op.
This is not a fake review. Caroline Mills disfigured my face so badly no other surgeon can fix her botched surgery. I am writing this review to warn you too avoid Caroline Mills at all costs. The General Medical Council should revoke her licence. She performs so many botched surgeries and just keeps do more and more. Avoid her dangerous botch surgeries. Jenny
I am really disappointed with Miss Caroline Mills surgery. I thought being a female surgeon she would be a lot nicer than all the male ones I’ve had in the past . I was wrong . She turned out worse & took a hell of a lot of money from me and wouldn’t revise Any of her mistakes free of charge. She also won’t take any accountability or put matters right . She has even ignored a letter from my MP. The cheek implants that she gave me Were so wrong for me . On both occasions they were TOO big and made my face look unnatural . I had a second opinion with a plastic surgeon at Chelsea & Westminster NHS hospital . The consultant that I saw there Me Abela and his team all agreed that the cheek implants had to be taken out and I would need a revised face lift as they were too big for my face and made me look very unnatural . Even with all these opinions Miss Mills still won’t take any accountability. The second facelift she performed on me was TERRIBLE a and she performed a facelift in a vertical vector rather than angular which is what I wanted . It made me look weird. Then she gave me a crooked lip lift . I am so upset because she’s so heartless and did all this bad work on my face and won’t take any responsibilty. Basically she’s saying tough . I would avoid surgery with her because she’s clueless when it comes to cheek implant sizes and she doesn’t correct her work .She has no compassion and in my opinion she took advantage of a very vulnerable person for monetary gain . Updated on 7 Jun 2022: I have a meeting with Miss Mills next week and I hope she will do the right thing by me by offering me a full refund or paying for my correction. I should have never had cheek implants in the first place and my jaw is not symmetrical either. I really hope I’m pleasantly surprised by Miss Mills . I chose her because I thought she was different and had my best interest at heart. I hope My dispute can be resolved amicably . I will keep you updated . Updated on 21 Nov 2022: I thought I’d give everyone an update .. miss mills still isn’t taken any accountability.. neither are weymouth or Phoenix Hospital Group .. they don’t care about my mental health and the state they left me in . If you wanna see pics .. plse follow me on insta .. Phoenix Hospital nightmare . Miss Caroline mills Thanks
PLEASE BEWARE OF CAROLINE MILLS AT THE FACE SURGEONS - Caroline is currently one of the lowest-rated Maxillofacial surgeons in the UK on realself.com. - Caroline has a track record of botching her patients' faces and severely impacting their quality of life. - In an attempt to deflect blame from herself Caroline is known to gaslight her patients explaining that their surgery gone wrong is “all in their heads” Before I get started with my experience, I think it is best for people to see the growing body of evidence of Caroline’s botched surgeries – take a moment to feel the pain she has put these people through.Botched Surgery Evidencehttps://www.realself.com/revie...https://www.realself.com/revie...http://jawsurgeryforums.com/in...Tips on finding a good Maxillofacial surgeon - The best surgeons in the UK have (a) lots of realself reviews (b) over 4.7 stars on realself (c) BAAPS member. - Check the surgeons lowest-rated reviews on realself as well as their best. - Approach surgery like it has already gone wrong and this is your last chance to get it right – this mindset will help you find the right surgeon and avoid surgeons like Caroline. - I would personally recommend David Dunaway, Jonathan Britto and Samuel Mattine if you are seeking facial implants. - Please find the best Maxillofacial surgeons on this list (Caroline is near the bottom):https://www.realself.com/find/...My Procedure - I had suffered from hereditary dark circles where I lacked bony structure in my face I wanted to get some cheek implants that would restore some of the volume in my tear trough area. - I stressed to Caroline that I wanted something natural and subtle and was strongly opposed to changing my face dramatically. - I opted for Customised Cheek implants made from my 3D-CT scans which were the “gold standard” as Caroline put it. - The first design came back from the implants and they were considerablyy large. As a patient, you have a gut feeling what will be right for your face and I was extremely concerned by how big they were. - I had a feeling Caroline did not understand what I wanted even after explicitly telling her. - I made a PowerPoint and included pictures stressing that I wanted something natural, and I was determined to get this right the first time. - Caroline suggested I come to London to speak with her about the design. - I mentioned that the implants seemed too big, and Caroline confidently defended the implant’s size – this is strange as patient’s concerns before a surgery are very likely to translate to concerns after a surgery. - Caroline mentioned that (a) the 6mm projection (which is very large) was correct (b) I didn’t want to have something too small otherwise it wouldn’t be noticeable (c) the design would meet my specifications of looking natural and subtle. - My gut-instinct was still terrible at this point, but I am young, naïve and do not know a lot about cosmetic surgery and Caroline defended the designs so confidently that I felt she knew what she was doing – confidence however does not mean competence. - The surgery goes ahead it is medically successful (no major damage to my health or facial functions) Post-Surgery - 3 weeks later as my swelling goes down, I notice a weird bulge running down my face and my stomach drops as I begin to realise that what I am seeing is my implant protruding from my face. - At this point, I realise that the implant is malpositioned (not in the correct location) – my goal of getting a subtle surgery was shattered. I am worried sick so decide to tell Caroline what I have discovered. - Caroline calls me the next day: half of her face is in view on her webcam as if she is cowering and knows something is up. I explain to her that the implant is misplaced and her response to this shocked me. - Caroline said that the implant is not misplaced, she said that I am looking at my face too much and there is nothing there that she can see (I could clearly see the outline on my camera). She said it is all in my head and no one would notice what I am seeing, she continued by saying that my friends would not be vigilant enough to think I have had surgery so they would not be able to see anything – at this point, Caroline is deferring responsibility for any wrongdoing and tells me it will go away in a few weeks. - I am no expert but as the swelling goes down logically the implant is going to become more and not less obvious this was when I became very concerned about Caroline’s ability as this was clearly incorrect advice to give – advice designed to protect herself and not care for her patient. - At this point I feel like I have hit rock bottom. I was very specific about wanting a natural look and Caroline had completely changed my face with a completely fake contrived look. I cannot begin to describe what the feeling of looking at yourself in the mirror is like when the reflection is someone you do not recognise. Knowing how fragile patients post-op Caroline can be still decided to blame the patient – it is not uncommon for a patient to take their life in response to a botched surgery and Caroline should be ashamed of herself. - She had created more problems than I had to begin with. - When the reality started to sink in: the psychological impact of a dramatic face change, the realisation that I would need money for another surgery, money that I did not have, I began to feel suicidal for the first time in my life. - Caroline knows the impact a botched surgery can have as she has done it before yet she still went for what she knew best and tried to deflect all the blame on me. - In my low moment my family really pulled together and helped me. We agreed to get a loan from the bank and correct Caroline’s work. - I visited another Harley Street surgeon who confirmed that the implant was misplaced and they appeared very large. I had a CT scan done which confirmed it was misplaced. This was to categorically prove that the implants were malpoisitioned. - I organised an online appointment with a surgeon in the United States called Barry Eppley. He was absolutely shocked at the (a) size (b) shape (c) projection of the implants and said it looked like my surgeon might have no experience making custom cheek implants and even said I might be the first person she has experimented with. He could see no basis for her design and put it down to inexperience. I mentioned that I sent her an email saying they look too big and he said that is the biggest red flag with implants if the patient intuitions think they are wrong 9 times out of 10 they are wrong. - Implants are meant to replicate bony structures so ANY facial implant needs to be conservative and subtle otherwise it will be completely noticeable and will get worse as you age – Caroline seemed to completely misunderstand this point and acted against the cosmetic consensus. - I saw another surgeon from Birmingham who had dealt with Caroline’s botch jobs before and said the implants were “completely wrong” for my face. - I saw 6 surgeons in total from the UK and USA they all agreed the implants were far too big and the more experienced surgeons told me that from the designs it would be highly likely any patient would reject the implants. - I went to see Caroline about a month later it was clear as day the implant was not in the correct position, at this point I was horrified to discover her realself reviews and felt so ashamed of myself for letting someone like her touch my face. I went to her at this point to see what she was going to say bearing in my find I have irrefutable evidence of its misplacement. - After waiting an hour I saw Caroline. - Caroline was smirking and said “have you seen any of your friends yet or are you still hiding from them”. She had treated the issue like some joke and showed no duty of care. - Caroline did admit it the implant was out of place and said “oh that is really annoying”. She followed that up with give it a couple more months and it might go away – she was hoping I would go away as an implant will not go back into position, again dreadfully unscientific advice designed to protect her interests. - She suggested if it still bothered me, she could put some filler or fat in my face to balance out the crease that had formed down the malpoisitioned implant or worst-case scenario she could put me under and shave the implant. Never once did she say to take them out or reposition it. - All the other surgeons had advised me to either (1) get them removed or (2) replace them with much smaller implants because I could have sagging if they were solely removed. - At this point I had lost all trust in Caroline instead of admitting to her mistakes she wanted to fill my face with filler which would have made me look even more unnatural than I currently looked – at this point it was genuinely dangerous to stay under her care. - As the months went by the malpositioned implant was causing me pain to smile and I needed to get them out – which costs a lot of money. - I wrote an email to Caroline’s office saying how disgusted I was at how they had treated me (more to follow about their service which is just as bad as Caroline’s cosmetic skills) and that I was writing a formal complaint for which I had significant evidence to back up my claims. - Caroline who had never once emailed me back (to the point I thought her email might be deactivated) gets back to me with two emails immediately – again this is completely self-serving. - In length, she says how sorry she is and says she will free up her slots to potentially get me in, prior to this she had said I must wait 6 months which is long enough in her mind for a patient to “move on” from their issues… but they never do. At this point I knew it was completely disingenuous and she was trying to act in her own self-interest to make sure she doesn’t receive any more complaints the level of fake care in her email made me think she had been here before and didn’t want to face the consequences of another complaint. - We organise to have a skype to discuss a potential surgery ( I assumed it was free) this was more to see if she would be willing to pay back her surgeons fee and not to have her touch my face. There was a very real chance she would make things a lot worse. - I waited half an hour on the skype call – she doesn’t show up. - She had mildly disfigured my face, completely changed how I looked, given me no aftercare, tried to gaslight me and laughed at me trying to avoid my friends because I was very anxious about how she made me look…and she didn’t show up true to her character. I had paid £13k for her to potentially derail my life and she did not care one bit. Revision surgery - I ended up paying another £19k which includes the multiple consultations I had, the scans and the surgery. - On top of this surgeons are very reluctant to operate on someone else’s patient and some even think you are crazy and won’t get involved at all – this is all the very real consequences of letting Caroline botch your face. - The surgeon had said the screws Caroline had used were too small and didn’t secure the implant down so the one that was malpositioned was in fact not secured to the bone which created a crease down the side of my face. - On top of this my eyelids had been very “battered” by Caroline and now one of my eyelids is not fully functional and could require a 3rd surgery. - However the massive implants were removed and significantly smaller ones with placed – I look like my old self and I am happy with the natural look a good surgeon has given me. - This surgeon replied to every email, gave me his personal number, was very involved in the whole process, continually asked questions to ascertain what I wanted and even called me unprompted after surgery to see how I was doing and have a chat. Caroline has no connection with her patients and quite frankly does not care about you, you are just revenue to her. I went from having one of the worst surgeons in the UK to one of the best and the process couldn’t have been more different. - You must seek the best and actively avoid the worst Caroline is undoubtedly one of the worst surgeons in the UK. Service and Care - The Face Surgeons are so unprofessional at one point I thought they were an elaborate scam I actually googled to check if they were. - They can take weeks to reply to an email, there was no direct phone service so you are in complete limbo awaiting a reply. - Caroline made me wait every time I visited. It was normally 30 mins at least before you see her. - She is very brash and overconfident she gets you in, doesn’t say much and then awkwardly announces that the meeting is over – I mistook this for ability at first but it is complete incompetence. - At one point her receptionist candidly told me to find another surgeon – she obviously knew what Caroline was capable of but I was naïve and I mistook this for Caroline being popular which made me want to seek her services more. - She is not thorough in her assessment and you are just another paycheck to her. - After surgery my aftercare was non-existent I had to ask doctors on realself about my swelling because she didn’t get back to me for two weeks – she simply doesn’t care about you. - My new surgeon gave me his number and responded whenever I had a question Caroline alienates you and makes you feel so detached from her care. - He also had 3 full-time staff who get back to you within hours and you can call any one of them should you need to. Last comments - I write this review for the sake of anyone that is thinking about getting surgery with Caroline. - To anyone who is reading this and has been affected by Caroline I am so sorry you had to go through that and hope you found happiness with another surgeon all we can do is be honest and warn people of what Caroline is capable of. - Caroline has no empathy and will continue to do this as long as she gets customers there are so many great surgeons who deeply care about their patients you will not find this with Caroline - There is significant downside risk with her and very little upside reward. You are gambling with your face and your life. - If I did not have my family to support my financially god knows what might have happened to me and you should be very scared of what might happen to you. - You have been warned.
Gave me a lower face lift that did not work as i was too young to have one, was badly advised, been left with bad scars around my ears. Inserted a jaw implant which has been placed in the wrong place and now has to be taken out. The rhinoplasty procedure made the nose worse and i have just had that redone with another surgeon. Lip lift distorted my nostrils. What else can i say? been taking to the cleaners and she didnt even say sorry!
