POSTED UNDER SMAS Facelift Reviews
16 Months After SMAS Facelift: Wider-Looking Face, More Visible Double Chin, Thicker Neck
ORIGINAL POST
16 Months After SMAS Facelift: Wider-Looking Face, More Visible Double Chin, Thicker Neck
In March 2025, I underwent a combined procedure performed by Dr. Gürkan Kayaba?o?lu. It included an SMAS facelift and neck lift, a 9 mm Eurosilicone chin implant, a brow lift, and upper and lower blepharoplasty. Excess fat beneath my chin was removed, and a platysma repair was performed. No separate facial fat-grafting procedure was performed.
My main goals were a more defined facial and jawline contour, a tighter neck, and reduced cheek volume. From our consultations, I understood that these areas would be addressed during surgery, and I based my decision to proceed largely on that understanding. During our in-person consultation approximately one week before surgery, I was also told that after about one month, it would not be apparent that I had undergone surgery unless someone examined me very closely.
Although I see limited improvement around the eye area and parts of the lower jawline, 16 months later I believe my face appears wider and fuller, my submental fullness is more noticeable, and my neck looks thicker. I also continue to experience regional fullness and contour problems, visible scars, neck pulling, and restricted movement. My weight was approximately the same during the periods shown in the before-and-after photographs.
PAYMENT AND INVOICE
The surgical fee was communicated during a WhatsApp voice call after the online consultation.
After arriving in Turkey, finalizing the surgical plan, and paying the remaining balance in cash, I requested an official invoice. I was then told for the first time that I would need to pay additional VAT on top of the agreed fee.
This had not been disclosed before I travelled to Turkey. I received no invoice, e-invoice, receipt, or other payment document.
POSTOPERATIVE DRAIN AND FLUID INTERVENTIONS
During the examination one day after surgery, the doctor noticed that the drain on the left side was full. The drain was removed, and the doctor and his assistant applied strong manual pressure to the lower part of my neck in the direction of the drain opening. I understood that this was intended to remove accumulated fluid. The procedure was very painful and caused me considerable anxiety. A second Minivac drain was then inserted.
I experienced similar strong manual interventions during other follow-up appointments.
Approximately one week after surgery, on April 2, 2025, the doctor’s assistant applied firm pressure and massage from the side of my nose toward my ear in an attempt to move or reduce fluid in my face. Approximately one hour later, my face was visibly more swollen than before the treatment. When I reported this, I was told that the neck bandage was responsible. I am including dated photographs showing the difference before and after this appointment.
I am not qualified to determine whether these interventions caused my current fullness, tightness, or contour problems. However, I still have serious questions about whether they contributed to the final result.
RECOVERY AND ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS
Throughout recovery, I was repeatedly told that the persistent swelling, scarring, and tightness resulted from my individual healing response and would improve with time. I trusted this explanation and waited patiently.
After leaving Turkey, I remained under the care of an experienced plastic surgeon in the country where I live. I underwent various treatments for swelling, redness, and scarring, including injection treatments that Dr. Kayaba?o?lu had previously administered and later recommended repeating.
For approximately two months after surgery, I had serious difficulty turning my neck. Physiotherapy partially improved the problem, but I still experience restricted movement, tightness, and pulling, particularly on the left side.
MY CONDITION 16 MONTHS LATER
Despite waiting 16 months and undergoing additional treatments, I still experience:
Unevenly distributed areas of fullness, scarring, and contour irregularity
Different levels of tightness, pulling, and movement restriction on the two sides of my neck
Reduced neck mobility compared with before surgery
Wide, raised, red, and visible scars behind my ears
An irregular, wavy cheek contour during strong facial expressions
A wider and fuller-looking face, more noticeable submental fullness, and a thicker-looking neck
My preoperative photographs show a sharper mandibular angle and a more defined natural hollow beneath the ear. After surgery, this area became fuller and less defined.
I acknowledge some improvement around my eyes and parts of the lower jawline. However, I do not see the result I expected in terms of a more defined facial contour, a tighter neck, and reduced cheek volume.
I understand that individual healing can affect swelling and scarring. However, the brow and preauricular incisions healed much less visibly, while the scars behind my ears remained wide and raised. Different areas of my face healed differently, and the pulling and movement limitations are not the same on both sides of my neck.
For this reason, I do not believe that “individual healing” alone fully explains these regional differences, the early contour changes, and the continuing movement restriction.
MEDICAL RECORDS AND FOLLOW-UP COMMUNICATION
After repeated requests, I received the surgical report approximately one month after surgery. The editable Microsoft Word file sent to me contained no wet or electronic physician signature, official stamp, letterhead, barcode, or other means of authentication. The doctor’s and hospital’s names appeared only as typed text at the end.
I recently requested my complete medical records and an officially signed report again. At the time of publishing this review, I had not received a response.
Approximately two months before publishing, I sent updated photographs to the clinic. I received a general reply stating that everything looked good and that the pulling was normal.
I then asked whether the persistent facial fullness, contour problems, and reduced neck mobility were also considered normal. I received no further response.
CONCLUSION
I understand that complications and individual differences in healing can occur with any surgery. I am not claiming that every complication automatically proves negligence.
However, 16 months later, I do not believe my main surgical goals were achieved. In my opinion, some areas now appear wider, fuller, and less defined than before surgery.
This experience has seriously affected both my appearance and my daily and social life. I spent approximately a year and a half waiting for improvement and invested significant time and money in additional treatments. Particularly during the first months, I largely withdrew from social life because of my appearance.
I chose surgery because I wanted to look younger and feel better about my appearance. Instead, I personally feel that my face now looks older, heavier, and wider.
I am sharing only the events I personally experienced and the aesthetic and functional problems that remain 16 months later. The final result is significantly below what I understood and expected before surgery.
I hope this review helps others ask more detailed questions about recovery time, surgical goals, scars, neck mobility, postoperative interventions, invoicing, medical documentation, and long-term follow-up. I also suggest asking in advance how success is defined and how continuing aesthetic or functional problems would be managed.
PHOTOGRAPHS INCLUDED
Preoperative images, early bruising and swelling, photographs taken before and after the April 2 appointment, scar development, contour changes, and my condition at 16 months.
My main goals were a more defined facial and jawline contour, a tighter neck, and reduced cheek volume. From our consultations, I understood that these areas would be addressed during surgery, and I based my decision to proceed largely on that understanding. During our in-person consultation approximately one week before surgery, I was also told that after about one month, it would not be apparent that I had undergone surgery unless someone examined me very closely.
Although I see limited improvement around the eye area and parts of the lower jawline, 16 months later I believe my face appears wider and fuller, my submental fullness is more noticeable, and my neck looks thicker. I also continue to experience regional fullness and contour problems, visible scars, neck pulling, and restricted movement. My weight was approximately the same during the periods shown in the before-and-after photographs.
PAYMENT AND INVOICE
The surgical fee was communicated during a WhatsApp voice call after the online consultation.
After arriving in Turkey, finalizing the surgical plan, and paying the remaining balance in cash, I requested an official invoice. I was then told for the first time that I would need to pay additional VAT on top of the agreed fee.
This had not been disclosed before I travelled to Turkey. I received no invoice, e-invoice, receipt, or other payment document.
POSTOPERATIVE DRAIN AND FLUID INTERVENTIONS
During the examination one day after surgery, the doctor noticed that the drain on the left side was full. The drain was removed, and the doctor and his assistant applied strong manual pressure to the lower part of my neck in the direction of the drain opening. I understood that this was intended to remove accumulated fluid. The procedure was very painful and caused me considerable anxiety. A second Minivac drain was then inserted.
I experienced similar strong manual interventions during other follow-up appointments.
Approximately one week after surgery, on April 2, 2025, the doctor’s assistant applied firm pressure and massage from the side of my nose toward my ear in an attempt to move or reduce fluid in my face. Approximately one hour later, my face was visibly more swollen than before the treatment. When I reported this, I was told that the neck bandage was responsible. I am including dated photographs showing the difference before and after this appointment.
I am not qualified to determine whether these interventions caused my current fullness, tightness, or contour problems. However, I still have serious questions about whether they contributed to the final result.
RECOVERY AND ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS
Throughout recovery, I was repeatedly told that the persistent swelling, scarring, and tightness resulted from my individual healing response and would improve with time. I trusted this explanation and waited patiently.
After leaving Turkey, I remained under the care of an experienced plastic surgeon in the country where I live. I underwent various treatments for swelling, redness, and scarring, including injection treatments that Dr. Kayaba?o?lu had previously administered and later recommended repeating.
For approximately two months after surgery, I had serious difficulty turning my neck. Physiotherapy partially improved the problem, but I still experience restricted movement, tightness, and pulling, particularly on the left side.
MY CONDITION 16 MONTHS LATER
Despite waiting 16 months and undergoing additional treatments, I still experience:
Unevenly distributed areas of fullness, scarring, and contour irregularity
Different levels of tightness, pulling, and movement restriction on the two sides of my neck
Reduced neck mobility compared with before surgery
Wide, raised, red, and visible scars behind my ears
An irregular, wavy cheek contour during strong facial expressions
A wider and fuller-looking face, more noticeable submental fullness, and a thicker-looking neck
My preoperative photographs show a sharper mandibular angle and a more defined natural hollow beneath the ear. After surgery, this area became fuller and less defined.
I acknowledge some improvement around my eyes and parts of the lower jawline. However, I do not see the result I expected in terms of a more defined facial contour, a tighter neck, and reduced cheek volume.
I understand that individual healing can affect swelling and scarring. However, the brow and preauricular incisions healed much less visibly, while the scars behind my ears remained wide and raised. Different areas of my face healed differently, and the pulling and movement limitations are not the same on both sides of my neck.
For this reason, I do not believe that “individual healing” alone fully explains these regional differences, the early contour changes, and the continuing movement restriction.
MEDICAL RECORDS AND FOLLOW-UP COMMUNICATION
After repeated requests, I received the surgical report approximately one month after surgery. The editable Microsoft Word file sent to me contained no wet or electronic physician signature, official stamp, letterhead, barcode, or other means of authentication. The doctor’s and hospital’s names appeared only as typed text at the end.
I recently requested my complete medical records and an officially signed report again. At the time of publishing this review, I had not received a response.
Approximately two months before publishing, I sent updated photographs to the clinic. I received a general reply stating that everything looked good and that the pulling was normal.
I then asked whether the persistent facial fullness, contour problems, and reduced neck mobility were also considered normal. I received no further response.
CONCLUSION
I understand that complications and individual differences in healing can occur with any surgery. I am not claiming that every complication automatically proves negligence.
However, 16 months later, I do not believe my main surgical goals were achieved. In my opinion, some areas now appear wider, fuller, and less defined than before surgery.
This experience has seriously affected both my appearance and my daily and social life. I spent approximately a year and a half waiting for improvement and invested significant time and money in additional treatments. Particularly during the first months, I largely withdrew from social life because of my appearance.
I chose surgery because I wanted to look younger and feel better about my appearance. Instead, I personally feel that my face now looks older, heavier, and wider.
I am sharing only the events I personally experienced and the aesthetic and functional problems that remain 16 months later. The final result is significantly below what I understood and expected before surgery.
I hope this review helps others ask more detailed questions about recovery time, surgical goals, scars, neck mobility, postoperative interventions, invoicing, medical documentation, and long-term follow-up. I also suggest asking in advance how success is defined and how continuing aesthetic or functional problems would be managed.
PHOTOGRAPHS INCLUDED
Preoperative images, early bruising and swelling, photographs taken before and after the April 2 appointment, scar development, contour changes, and my condition at 16 months.
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