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A word in favour of Mr Guest (regarding reimbursement, not surgery)
Since I wrote my review almost 6 months ago, I have received messages from women (in the UK, France and the USA) who have been victims of bad surgery from various, sometimes unnamed, surgeons.
A common theme is that the surgeon refuses to admit that he/she has done anything wrong, usually suggesting that the patient has "unrealistic expectations" (even though expected results have been discussed at consultation) and/or needs psychiatric help, presumably for some kind of body dysmorphic disorder.
This latter behaviour (where the surgeon tries to persuade the patient that they have a good result, and they are just being irrational) is particularly unforgivable. It is actually a well-known form of mental abuse known as "gaslighting" (definition: to manipulate someone by psychological means into doubting their own memory, perception and sanity).
I think this attitude is completely unacceptable, and it would make the victim's post-surgery ordeal much easier to deal with if the surgeon would just admit that the outcome is not satisfactory, and without insinuating that the patient is somehow to blame.
Also, they should offer refunds at the earliest opportunity (for all or at least part of the surgery costs), to enable the victim to seek revision surgery elsewhere, and remove that extra burden of worry (ie. that they have just wasted their life savings on bad surgery, and cannot afford a revision).
In addition, even those who succeed in obtaining some sort of refund are often (usually) only able to do so if they agree to keep quiet about it and not post negative reviews online.
So I would like to commend Philip Guest for both admitting that the result was unsatisfactory AND offering an unconditional refund, at 5 months post surgery. Because there was no non-disclosure condition I was able to write my honest review of my experience, thereby helping prospective patients make an informed decision, and enabling unhappy past patients to contact me and know that they were not the only ones (which is somehow comforting). He also did not imply that I had "unrealistic expectations" or body (face) dysmorphic disorder.
In this respect, I think he is unusual amongst surgeons, and it shows some integrity.
However, I stand by everything I said in my review and comments, and would never recommend him for cosmetic surgery, based on my experience.
I just wanted to make the point that I am grateful that he gave me a full refund without question. I did mention this in my original review, but subsequently hearing about others' experiences of trying to obtain reimbursement, I feel that Mr Guest deserves some respect for offering a prompt, non-conditional refund to me.
A common theme is that the surgeon refuses to admit that he/she has done anything wrong, usually suggesting that the patient has "unrealistic expectations" (even though expected results have been discussed at consultation) and/or needs psychiatric help, presumably for some kind of body dysmorphic disorder.
This latter behaviour (where the surgeon tries to persuade the patient that they have a good result, and they are just being irrational) is particularly unforgivable. It is actually a well-known form of mental abuse known as "gaslighting" (definition: to manipulate someone by psychological means into doubting their own memory, perception and sanity).
I think this attitude is completely unacceptable, and it would make the victim's post-surgery ordeal much easier to deal with if the surgeon would just admit that the outcome is not satisfactory, and without insinuating that the patient is somehow to blame.
Also, they should offer refunds at the earliest opportunity (for all or at least part of the surgery costs), to enable the victim to seek revision surgery elsewhere, and remove that extra burden of worry (ie. that they have just wasted their life savings on bad surgery, and cannot afford a revision).
In addition, even those who succeed in obtaining some sort of refund are often (usually) only able to do so if they agree to keep quiet about it and not post negative reviews online.
So I would like to commend Philip Guest for both admitting that the result was unsatisfactory AND offering an unconditional refund, at 5 months post surgery. Because there was no non-disclosure condition I was able to write my honest review of my experience, thereby helping prospective patients make an informed decision, and enabling unhappy past patients to contact me and know that they were not the only ones (which is somehow comforting). He also did not imply that I had "unrealistic expectations" or body (face) dysmorphic disorder.
In this respect, I think he is unusual amongst surgeons, and it shows some integrity.
However, I stand by everything I said in my review and comments, and would never recommend him for cosmetic surgery, based on my experience.
I just wanted to make the point that I am grateful that he gave me a full refund without question. I did mention this in my original review, but subsequently hearing about others' experiences of trying to obtain reimbursement, I feel that Mr Guest deserves some respect for offering a prompt, non-conditional refund to me.
Incisions, stitches and staples - a comparison
There's another thread on the forum here on realself - a discussion comparing UK facelift surgeons:
https://www.realself.com/forum/surgeon-face-necklift-uk#comment-3795778
I commented on it and thought I'd copy and paste my comment here, as it's relevant to my review, and may be helpful for prospective patients:
"Having been the recipient of 2 facelifts within a year (I only wanted the one, but it didn't work out that way!) by 2 different UK specialist facial surgeons, I am in the unenviable position of being able to do a direct comparison. I can only compare the two, but there is no comparison - Dominic is in a different league, for all the reasons that BieneMaya has explained so well.
If we're just talking stitches, then my primary surgeon (Philip Guest, a supposedly top maxillofacial and cosmetic facial surgeon) left me with hideous scars from his techniques. The incisions were badly positioned and closed under tension (causing pain and stretched scars) with crude stitches and a lot of staples.
Instead of the careful incisions along the temple hairline (Dominic's superior but time-consuming technique), Philip Guest made incisions within my temple hair, which resulted in a permanently raised hairline (loss of sideburns). He then STAPLED the incisions, under tension, so that I now also have a hairless stripe within (what's left of) my temple hair.
I lost part of my tragus, and he did something weird when he reattached my lobes.
Behind the ear, the incisions were nowhere near the crease, and, halfway-up, they changed direction and went horizontally across bare skin into my hairline, and again were mainly closed with staples. Again, under tension, so the scars stretched and left visible staple marks. My posterior lower hairline was also permanently distorted.
He ruined my upper eyelids with visible scarring from crude stitches.
Dominic revised/removed/repositioned as much of this disfiguring scarring as possible when he revised my face and neck lift. Being half-awake during the procedure, I was aware of the time and care that Dominic was taking over the stitching (no stapling), and the difference was incredible. It was a work of art - neat, precise, tiny stitches, and no pain/stretching/burning during the healing process.
Dominic understands women (and men of course), and recognises that we want imperceptible scars as far as possible (as should all aesthetic practitioners). Philip Guest's attitude was that scarring was inevitable, so why even bother to minimise it? He offers scar revisions as a solution, but I'm not sure they are particularly successful from what I have heard from some of his patients. Here's a novel thought: why not just take the time and care to do a proper job in the first place (as Dominic does)?"
I'd also like to add that I didn't lose a single hair follicle under Dominic's care and skill (thanks to the position and angle of the trichophytic incisions and closures) - I couldn't afford to lose any more after the hair loss that resulted from Mr Guest's surgery.
https://www.realself.com/forum/surgeon-face-necklift-uk#comment-3795778
I commented on it and thought I'd copy and paste my comment here, as it's relevant to my review, and may be helpful for prospective patients:
"Having been the recipient of 2 facelifts within a year (I only wanted the one, but it didn't work out that way!) by 2 different UK specialist facial surgeons, I am in the unenviable position of being able to do a direct comparison. I can only compare the two, but there is no comparison - Dominic is in a different league, for all the reasons that BieneMaya has explained so well.
If we're just talking stitches, then my primary surgeon (Philip Guest, a supposedly top maxillofacial and cosmetic facial surgeon) left me with hideous scars from his techniques. The incisions were badly positioned and closed under tension (causing pain and stretched scars) with crude stitches and a lot of staples.
Instead of the careful incisions along the temple hairline (Dominic's superior but time-consuming technique), Philip Guest made incisions within my temple hair, which resulted in a permanently raised hairline (loss of sideburns). He then STAPLED the incisions, under tension, so that I now also have a hairless stripe within (what's left of) my temple hair.
I lost part of my tragus, and he did something weird when he reattached my lobes.
Behind the ear, the incisions were nowhere near the crease, and, halfway-up, they changed direction and went horizontally across bare skin into my hairline, and again were mainly closed with staples. Again, under tension, so the scars stretched and left visible staple marks. My posterior lower hairline was also permanently distorted.
He ruined my upper eyelids with visible scarring from crude stitches.
Dominic revised/removed/repositioned as much of this disfiguring scarring as possible when he revised my face and neck lift. Being half-awake during the procedure, I was aware of the time and care that Dominic was taking over the stitching (no stapling), and the difference was incredible. It was a work of art - neat, precise, tiny stitches, and no pain/stretching/burning during the healing process.
Dominic understands women (and men of course), and recognises that we want imperceptible scars as far as possible (as should all aesthetic practitioners). Philip Guest's attitude was that scarring was inevitable, so why even bother to minimise it? He offers scar revisions as a solution, but I'm not sure they are particularly successful from what I have heard from some of his patients. Here's a novel thought: why not just take the time and care to do a proper job in the first place (as Dominic does)?"
I'd also like to add that I didn't lose a single hair follicle under Dominic's care and skill (thanks to the position and angle of the trichophytic incisions and closures) - I couldn't afford to lose any more after the hair loss that resulted from Mr Guest's surgery.
Philip Guest's own Forum - a warning
On Mr Guest's company website, there is a forum for patients, and it states "We do not edit or alter the content of the Forum or delete any adverse comments - you have our word on that".
Well, I recently posted a couple of comments, in response to other patients' questions, and they have been deleted ("This post has been removed following the advice of our legal advisors").
So much for his word!
Despite the promise, I had a feeling that my "adverse" comments (in fact, genuine descriptions of my treatment and outcome) would be deleted, so I took screen shots of them before they disappeared. There is nothing in the deleted posts that warrants them being removed by legal advisors, and I am happy to upload the screenshots here if any realself users would like to see them.
Thank goodness for realself - a genuinely open and transparent forum where good and bad (equally important for prospective patients) reviews and comments can be freely posted.
Well, I recently posted a couple of comments, in response to other patients' questions, and they have been deleted ("This post has been removed following the advice of our legal advisors").
So much for his word!
Despite the promise, I had a feeling that my "adverse" comments (in fact, genuine descriptions of my treatment and outcome) would be deleted, so I took screen shots of them before they disappeared. There is nothing in the deleted posts that warrants them being removed by legal advisors, and I am happy to upload the screenshots here if any realself users would like to see them.
Thank goodness for realself - a genuinely open and transparent forum where good and bad (equally important for prospective patients) reviews and comments can be freely posted.
Provider Review
I did my research, and believed I was in safe, capable hands – Philip Guest is a UK “board-certified” NHS Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon with over 20 years experience in facial cosmetic surgery, and has “an international reputation as an expert in aesthetic and facial cosmetic surgery”, according to his website. I cannot understand how this is possible, as my experience and outcome was so far removed from what these credentials should deliver. I am still incredulous that someone of such standing can perform so badly. He has changed my perception of the medical profession for the worse, and made me super-sceptical and wary of surgeons (with the exception of the London surgeon who has recently performed by revision facelift). In my opinion, Mr Guest should not be practising aesthetic surgery. I hope he is a better maxillofacial surgeon than he is a cosmetic surgeon, and that he treats his NHS patients with more care and skill than with which he treated me. In my case, the surgery was perfunctory, the outcome was appalling, and the aftercare was non-existent. The only positive comment I can give is that he refunded the full cost of my surgery (almost £10,000) without question when he saw my results at 5 months (the first time I'd been granted access to him since I'd had my stitches removed at 12-days post-op). Even he seemed dumbstruck (but not apologetic or concerned) at what he had done to me. My advice? Avoid him like the plague. He is keeping other surgeons busy with revisions of his work.