50 Yr Old Female with Lower Facelift, Necklift, and Chin Implant - Aliso Veijo, CA

Two weeks went by quickly and I am getting better everyday. I can see the changes every morning when I wake up. Swelling peaked on day 3. The doctor removed the drain tube on day 3 and some of the stitches on day 5. All stitches were gone on day 10. I could not drive until the doctor cleared me on day 5 due to limited mobility. I couldn't turn my head and neck much. Attached are pictures of me with and without make-up to show you the scars and bruises. 3 major incisions were made in this surgery: one under the chin for the chin implant ( this is the most visible one). The other two were around the ears: a). from side to the top of the ear all the way into the hair b). behind the ear and then into the hair. The incisions on the ear were in the creases of the ear and inside the ear. Doctor Miller is VERY big on making the scars as invisible as possible. Other than the scar on my chin, one would have to look very closely to find them. I have also attached three pictures with make-up. They were taken on day 13 to go to my son's baseball game. Normal make up was used and it covered most of the bruises. I have been taking short walks since day 4, once a day, 3/4 mile each day, and I wore a Microsoft Band (a sports watch) to monitor my heart rate. The doctor did not want me to raise my heart rate or my blood pressure. He said I can begin biking in a few days. I will slowly re-train myself to ease back to long distance bike riding.
So far, I have been recovering smoothly with minor discomfort. My neck is tight and it loosens up more and more by the day by keeping my neck at 90 degree angel, doing stretching exercises, and massages. I have to sleep on my back with a 30 degree angel on my adjustable bed. Sleeping on a few pillows works just as well. I get mild headaches a few times a day close to my right temple, but the pain goes away after a minute or so. The pain level is low so I don't take any pain medicine for it. Swelling has gone down a lot, and bruising has dramatically improved. I like what I see so far.

The day of surgery was September 29, 2015. Show time was 10:00 AM. The doctor took my pre-op pictures and told me that the procedure will take about 5 hours, because he takes extra time to make sure everything is done properly. He also gave me a chance to ask any last minute questions. I didn't have any and I was ready to go. The nurse prepped me, went through her checklist, put me in a surgical gown, and I rested comfortably on the surgery table. The anesthesiologist called the night before so he knew about my medical history and was ready to proceed. By about 10:45 AM, I was sleeping. A few seconds before I drifted away, I remember the doctor using a pen to mark my neck. A long long time after that, I remember hearing people talking and I asked what time it was. I then recognized the doctor's voice, telling me that it was about 7:30 at night. I didn't say anything back but do recall thinking "boy, the doctor is still here?". I somehow knew the surgery was over, but was surprised to know that the doctor was still there. Maybe I should not be surprised because I picked the most meticulous doctor I could find. Dr. Miller was there at 7:30 at night so that he could give the attending nurse specific things he wanted her to monitor.

As part of the arrangement, I chose to spend a night in the doctor's facility. It is a room dedicated for patients to spend a night there after surgery. I initially thought that was unnecessary and I could shave $600 off the bill, but after going through this, I am glad I spent a night there. Every penny I spent was well worth it. A dedicated nurse was with me at all times. She monitored me, gave me medications, and attended to my needs. To minimize accident, I had a catheter until the next morning so I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night, and unhook all tubings just to go to the bathroom. At about 5:30 AM, I was awake and ready to go. The nurse helped me get up to brush my teeth, and I was able to walk by myself. After this, she gave me my Greek Yogurt (I packed one with me because that is what I like), a pain pill, and then she removed the big bandages around my head and neck. The doctor then came in, checked the surgical site, talked to me about the drain tube that hung on my right side, gave me care instructions, and I went home. I of course couldn't drive so my husband took me home. It was about 8:30 AM when I left the doctor's office, and that was Day 1 post-ops). I spent most of day 1 sleeping. The attached picture shows what the drain tube looked like when I left the office. There was a tube weaved in my neck to the back of my head to drain fluid out of my body to minimize brushing and swelling. I had to wear this until Day 3 post-ops. The tube did not hurt, just cumbersome, and I was able to shower with it. The doctor said I could shower as soon as I got home, but I didn't do it until Day 2 post-ops. Another point I would like to make it that I had no nausea from general anesthesia, and the pain from this surgery is minimal. I took 2 pain pills on day 1 and has stopped taking it ever since. The most severe pain level I had after I return home was about level 6.

My dialog with Dr. Miller and his office manager, Sandi, began in April 2015, five months ago. Sandi, like Doctor Miller, is one of the most outstanding professionals I have worked with. Through her, I was able to quickly schedule a consultation with Doctor Miller. On the consultation day, the doctor and Sandi spent almost an hour with me. I explained to the doctor that I would like to remove the sagging skin on my face and neck and have a more youthful jawline. The doctor explained to me how he would do the face and neck lift, reposition my facial muscles, and eliminate extra skin to make the result lasts 10 - 15 years. He showed me where the incisions would be so they won't be noticeable. He recommended a chin implant be included in this procedure to balance my profile. Since I never considered having a chin implant, I was not prepared to ask the right questions on this.

My first impress of Doctor Miller, his office, and his staff was "these people know what they are doing". Through the appearance of the office areas, their demeanor, the way they received me and answered my questions, I knew this was a first class operation. Doctor Miller was extremely knowledgeable, very calm and patient. I could sense his honesty, sincerity, and his meticulous nature. Sandi took my pictures through their special cameras to show me a 3-D view of my face from different angles, and emailed me how the chin implant would look on my face if I chose to include one. She also handed me a package to include pricing options, with and without a chin implant. She readily gave me these options at the end of my consultation appointment without my request. Wow, this showed me how experienced Sandi was, and how she and Doctor Miller knew what they are doing !!!

Why did it take me 5 months from the time I began talking to Dr. Miller to the time I received the procedure? Well, I needed time to make sure this is what I wanted to do. I also had questions, more and more questions about the chin implant.

I knew Doctor Miller was the right person for my face and neck because it is a complex procedure. With Doctor Miller's meticulous habits, I know I would be in good hands.