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POSTED UNDER Chin Implant Reviews

40 Year Old Male from Australia, Travelled to LA for Chin Implant. - Beverly Hills, CA

ORIGINAL POST

Dr Gal Aharonov performed a chin implant and put...

$5,500
Dr Gal Aharonov performed a chin implant and put it in so it was twisted on one side. This created a disfigurement that was clearly visible to both of us on the left side where the implant dropped, I have been told by other surgeons that there is not a chance in hell that someone in his position did not know he had made a bad mistake in surgery. Dr Aharonov put filler in the hole/indent that was created by the twisted implant. When I raised the issue of his negligence months later, he used that filler in the following terms 'I gave you free filler' like I should have been grateful and not raise the issue as to why a hole had to be filled in the first place. For months-1 year after I have had frightening issues and lost feeling in the left side of my chin area. I am posting one photo to show what the area looked like a whole 10 months after. When I told Dr Aharonov about the problems he acted innocent and said it must have been because the implant was so big, more lies, he then suggested drilling a hole into my chin and tying the implant up. Having told this to other surgeons they are appalled as such a thing with my implant is totally not required and is unheard of, fortunately I had already lost any trust with Dr Aharonov so did not agree, although I think he was bluffing and just wanted to pretend the implant was too heavy and thus why it was floating around, utter BS, his lack of care is profoundly disturbing and I would have seriously forgiven him if he had just been honest in the beginning, when he saw the disfigurement caused by the twisted implant. I have been informed by other surgeons that I required immediate re-operation as the implant was in there loose and moving around. I was lucky it didn't cause more damage than it has. This has cost me so much time ,money and caused great stress and depression. When I expressed my anguish to the doctor he acted like the victim, told me to get a lawyer and he would contact his insurance company, furthermore the implant he put in was not the one we chose together. It is difficult to open a malpractice lawsuit after a year but because over almost all that time I was assured by the Dr Aharonov that everything was ok and I stupidly trusted him and as I am from Australia, where I do most of my work therefore not being in the USA I still have a viable case to pursue. Please people be warned, people like this man are happy to take your money but do not give a damn about you and will say anything to escape taking responsibility for their mistake. The picture was taken 10 months after operation, you can see it never healed and was weeping/ dis-coloured, red, swollen... WRONG! Any online support will be greatly appreciated as I have been dealing with this on my own for a year.

Luciano Mandale's provider

Gal Aharonov, MD

Gal Aharonov, MD

Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon

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Answered my questions
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Replies (5)

Thank you for sharing its very helpful for many beforepicking a surgeon and know this information.Wish more patients could share their expercience .
In the profession of plastic surgery, there is very little accountability. Basically they can lie through their teeth about an error while enjoying the thousands of dollars. Because I really thought I trusted Dr Aharonov and he did that to me I have had my own sense of judgement in people skewed. This was not only a very expensive procedure but takes a toll on one's confidence in people. As I mentioned before it was not the mistake itself it was all the deception afterwards. He had a duty of care. Anyway the guy is morally bankrupt while sipping champagne with my money. I had fillers with him too, that is whole other story, in short caused a egg like lump in the corner of eye, did fillers I didn't consent too but charged me and the list goes on. I am usually not a stupid person but he really took advantage of me and I have felt totally stupid ever since. The whole thing was a nightmare from the beginning, to the point I almost started thinking it was some cruel hoax.
I am also a smart person who does not get taken advantage of easily. I'm a litigation lawyer. And yet I also found myself the victim of unscrupulous cosmetic physicians. I feel like a guinea pig. After I had been very happy with a TINY amount of Juvederm in my cheeks (0.2ml) and midface (0.1ml) she just decided to DOUBLE the amount without so much as a conversation let alone consent. The swelling was incredible and I was unrecognisable. I went back to have some dissolved a couple of weeks later. I was desperate and vulnerable because I looked like Garfield - beet red, giant puffy face that looked like plastic surgery gone wrong. Awful. Well the doctor who did the dissolving then took it upon herself to save the cheeks that were actually causing the problem and she instead dissolved the filler under my eyes that had been there for five years since 2009 without my consent. My face caved in from the cheek volume pressure and my lower eyelids are now ruined. And as she did not take out the massive cheeks as I asked, my face is still a giant red basketball 4 months later. My eyes constantly sting from the swelling. I'm on prednisone currently to try to bring the swelling down. It appears to be angioedema. I need some of the god-awful cheeks taken out but I am understandably terrified. I have an appointment with a different doctor next Friday and if I think about it too much I feel like fainting. I have consulted with this new doctor twice and I trust that she understands the problem but hyaluronidase is just so unpredictable that I could really end up with another diabolical disaster. I have no psychological or emotional reserves for another disaster. I'm essentially a work-home hermit as it is. My fingers are crossed for myself as I need my confidence and my life back. I'm in Adelaide and my choices are limited as to practitioner but I am hoping I have made a good choice this time.
Jeez I feel your pain, and I understand your fear, it's awful as you need to have things fixed but when you have been so screwed over it creates a lot of distrust and anxiety. I have had fillers from many different people around the world and would you believe the best I had was in Chiang Mai Thailand and a place in Sydney that was done by a nurse not a doctor. All the apparent 'best doctors' for filler like Dr Aharonov and others have been different shades of disaster on me. I now always scoff when people say 'make sure you go to a reputable plastic surgeon for injectables.' I am sorry a woman did that to you, I know I shouldn't create a gender divide but due to my own results I trust woman with injectables more than men. I wish I could recommend someone to dissolve the filler in your cheeks. I had a big hard egg on the left side and I had 'a stronger jaw line' created with filler that created a jowl effect and although I considered having both dissolved I was too scared. Luckily I can grow facial hair to help the jaw and chin and the egg I refer too I just put up with for over a year and it has now gone. I find these people are very detached from the experience and the stress it creates in people like us who are already mildly stressed about our looks thus why we sitting there with needles etc in our face. There is a lot of reckless behaviour I once had so much filler in an area that because my skin is olive it was pumped out so much the skin stretched and what was once olive was now micro pigmentation. They don't think or care about things we pay them to be aware of, they generally use a one size fits all. I am tempted to go do some training in needle work and do it myself. We should not be forced to learn from THEIR mistakes!!! Anyway hope u r ok and I hope I haven't made your anxiety worse! At the very least I hope something I wrote made you smile. Let me know how u r going.
Lots of luck when doing a revision.
Thank you very much I appreciate that :)
What a long way to travel for such a disappointing outcome! Are you planning a revision surgery? Have you chosen an Australian doctor for the revision?
Thanks for your response, I just had my revision. Although we have excellent Surgeons in Australia, first rate facilities and service I travel too much on this side of the hemisphere. It is too early to give the result etc. But I should note that generally one must have the implant removed for 6-8weeks before another surgery. Another factor to consider before getting a chin implant, apparently it is one of the most simple procedures to perform but too many surgeons are simply reckless and in the profession generally there is little accountability when they make an error which seems to happen a lot especially with chins. I have more trust in a used car salesman to be honest. Thanks again for responding ;)
No worries. I have no problem with a chin as I had maxilofacial surgery in my 20s. I definitely agree with your opinion as to the lack of accountability when surgeries are for cosmetic reasons. Suddenly the doctors disappear or they pretend they can't see their mistake. It's unacceptable but there appears little recourse. I hope your revision is a brilliant success and please post some photos when it's all settled in. Best of luck, mate.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience on RealSelf!
Jeez I feel your pain, and I understand your fear, it's awful as you need to have things fixed but when you have been so screwed over it creates a lot of distrust and anxiety. I have had fillers from many different people around the world and would you believe the best I had was in Chiang Mai Thailand and a place in Sydney that was done by a nurse not a doctor. All the apparent 'best doctors' for filler like Dr Aharonov and others have been different shades of disaster on me. I now always scoff when people say 'make sure you go to a reputable plastic surgeon for injectables.' I am sorry a woman did that to you, I know I shouldn't create a gender divide but due to my own results I trust woman with injectables more than men. I wish I could recommend someone to dissolve the filler in your cheeks. I had a big hard egg on the left side and I had 'a stronger jaw line' created with filler that created a jowl effect and although I considered having both dissolved I was too scared. Luckily I can grow facial hair to help the jaw and chin and the egg I refer too I just put up with for over a year and it has now gone. I find these people are very detached from the experience and the stress it creates in people like us who are already mildly stressed about our looks thus why we sitting there with needles etc in our face. There is a lot of reckless behaviour I once had so much filler in an area that because my skin is olive it was pumped out so much the skin stretched and what was once olive was now micro pigmentation. They don't think or care about things we pay them to be aware of, they generally use a one size fits all. I am tempted to go do some training in needle work and do it myself. We should not be forced to learn from THEIR mistakes!!! Anyway hope u r ok and I hope I haven't made your anxiety worse! At the very least I hope something I wrote made you smile. Let me know how u r going.
Thanks for your message. I went to my appointment this afternoon to have a little of the cheek Voluma dissolved. I took my Mum with me because I was so panicky. Hyaluronidase is just so unpredictable. There is no control and it is intended to disperse through the skin. I was mainly worried it would track through my skin under my eyes. I have seen this happen to other people. Long story short- I couldn't do it. I burst into years and rescheduled. So my face still looks like a giant, red, featureless ball. Ugh. I regretted it as soon as I left but I just do not have the psychological reserve for another disaster. I'm really upset as it could have been my saviour but the risk was simply too great. How is your chin going? Fabulous I hope!
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