Need to travel or in your own neighborhood, Dr Moelleken is worth it.

Treatment Provider

Provider Review

• 17 Apr 2017

I'm a retired RN and 15 of my 30 working years were spent in the outpatient recovery room of a major Newport Beach, CA hospital. I cared for patients of many of the plastic surgeons in the Newport area over the years and when I was in my late 40's I chose who I thought was the best of those surgeons to do an endoscopic forehead and mid-face lift and upper eyelids. No real problems with surgery, but I'd rate my results and the experience only about "2.5-3" out of "5". Kind of underwhelming. A couple of years later at age 50 I was developing a hollows above my cheeks and the shadows it created made it look like dark circles under my eyes. After hearing "have you been sick, are you tired" enough times and hating to look in the mirror, I started searching for possible treatments. I came across Dr Moelleken's website and read about his LUSIC superficial cheek lift which elevates the sagging cheeks and returns volume to fill in the hollows under eyes which eliminates the shadows and in my case, the dark under-eye circles. But I’m not at all a Beverly Hillsy-type person so I mulled it over for quite a while before I went for a consult. I was pleasantly surprised to find Dr Moelleken (and his office) to be genuinely warm, approachable, professional, about as laid-back as you could get. I had the cheek lift procedure and he also corrected some issues from my previous surgery and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. It was a huge improvement and no more sick/tired look. That was 10 years ago and I’ve retired, we moved to Mexico, and I’m going to be 60 next month. I’m still surfing and have recently delved in to the very challenging sport of kiteboarding. I don’t feel 60 and had recently been avoiding the mirror because the onset of my lower face and neck starting to sag was creating a jowly haggard appearance that I didn’t recognize or identify with. Decided I’d undergo one last surgical procedure to undo some of the signs of aging and after that I’d just have to live with it, so I began considering a facelift. A face lift, neck lift (“NeckLace” procedure), and full face co2 laser in fact. Organizing a surgery required much more planning and preparation this time since we no longer have a home in Southern California, but choosing a surgeon was never a question because Dr Moelleken is the only one I’d trust with my face. Penny, Dr M’s assistant, was very helpful with scheduling and the pre-op planning. On Airbnb I found very nice private “suite” for my husband and I that was about 10 minutes from Dr Moelleken’s office/surgery center and we stayed there for the first week after surgery. In an area where hotel rooms go for $300+ we had more privacy and the convenience to make our own meals for less than $90 per night. For anyone coming from out of town for surgery I’d highly recommend this option. My 2nd post -op week we stayed in another Airbnb rental suite in Northern San Diego, closer to the area where we used to live. We drove back to Mexico 10-12 days after surgery and as long as you take it slow and easy, I’d say this is a reasonable amount of time after these procedures before expecting to travel. I wouldn’t have been ready for air travel at this point though and If you’ll have long extended flights after surgery this extensive, and depending upon your age and health, I would consider waiting until 2-3 weeks post op. My surgery was 3 weeks ago today and I still have swelling and the bruising is fading but I think my results will be another “best thing I’ve ever done”. Not a drastic change or “New Me” in the mirror, but a “Refreshed Me” which jives more with how I feel. The perfect results!