Contoura Lift an Inappropriate Lift for Younger Patients with Ample Volume in Face

I never thought I would be leaving a negative review for Dr. Garcia, alas here I am. I went to him in 2015 for a septorhinoplasty due to a deviated septum, dorsal hump, crooked nose, and tip drooping when smiling. After seeing the in-office before pictures and noting the laxity/wrinkling on my jaw/neck from the side I inquired about a surgical fix. 

I had already had a chin implant and neck lipo done in 2013 by a different doctor that left me with loose skin on my neck/chin area from the frontal view. There were my concerns. Dr. G was hesitant to put scars on a younger woman (I was about 35 at the time). I was not so much concerned about scars as I was what I saw in those pictures. He agreed I did have aging and laxity that warranted surgical intervention. Dr. G is so warm and genuine he blew me away and I trusted him when he suggested a cheek lift, although I was thinking mini-lift since my neck was the main issue. He also suggested that my chin was too projected and to remove the implant. Which I did. I wish I could go back and slap some sense into my younger self.

The lift improvement maybe lasted 2 years and never addressed the laxity from the front. What did happen was I now had and have bunching of skin/fat at my lower eyes and out to the side of my face when I smile, which I rarely do anymore. It is not crows feet, it is from his lift that did not allow for the existing volume in my face. I am super self conscious about it. Also, one side is lifted fuller and higher which makes me look lopsided. I have lost the smooth contours of my face and look very aged. Had I known this lift would make my already full face fuller and wider and uneven I would have passed. I also cannot wear larger hoop earrings as they rest against my neck, I no longer have sideburns and have pixie ears. So much of what I have going on screams bad facelift, yet no lasting result.

Oh, and my chin is droopy and ptotic, which I was not informed would happen with the implant removal.

I would give anything to have my old face back.

To add to that, which I will do a separate review, my nose is a complete mess. I have an inverted v deformity, collapsed nasal valves, pinched and asymmetrical tip, bumpy/crooked bridge, hanging columella, and nostril notching. Even with a great doctor working on me, it will never be close to perfect. Not to mention my breathing is very poor. All of these issues should have been apparent to Dr. G when I went down there last fall but he just wanted to cover it up, seems pretty unethical to me. I had not had my consults yet or I would have inquired further.

This decision has lowered my self-esteem so much, I constantly obsess and kick myself for letting him touch my face.

I knew things were off with my nose and face but what could I do I thought? Oh, I am just being overly critical I told myself. 

We did make the trip to FL last fall to consult with him after I expressed my concerns. I was warned that he was willing to help after all of this time. His plan was to do another Contoura Lift, brow lift, nasal rasping with a SMAS graft over the bridge of my nose, neck lipo all at a discount. I was excited he was being so generous at the time, but I now realize I was being foolish. I spoke with Diane, his patient coordinator, several times and to Dr. G at length with my many questions. I was booked and scheduled, pet sitter arranged, Air BnB booked, loads of food, ready to go. Then the pandemic hit. 

I postponed my surgery until an unknown later date. Then months later canceled it altogether. They wanted to keep 25% of my paid in full fee like it was no big deal. I obviously balked at that and was met with resistance, "well we spent a lot of time on you" I heard. So that was worth the $2200. Eventually, he relented but I was told to find another provider. Such a sweet caring, seemingly genuine man and that is the treatment I got. During a pandemic when so much is up in the air. Ridiculous. Things happen for a reason though and I am so thankful I did not have my 2nd surgery with him. Who knows what I would look like now. No better I can imagine and pretty sure a lot worse. 

My boyfriend told me years later during my first procedure it maybe took 90 mins to 2 hrs and that's being generous.

How can all 3 of those procedures be done with precision and accuracy in such a short period of time? I could never get a straight answer about what was to be done to my neck either, "go in there and tighten things up" from Diane and Dr. G is not good enough. I was also told I had a cheek lift in 2015 and this would be a Contoura Lift and that is different. Although on his Instagram and his website I was the front page pics for all to see advertising his Contoura Lift.

Turns out to correct the bunching at the eyes (which he said my outer brow had descended, although it was from the cheek lift) he was going to do a coronal brow lift. Very extreme and excessive. Glad that came out before surgery day!

I have had a couple of estimates for a real face/neck lift in the ballpark of 15k, more than double his lift. 

To correct my nose it is going to be 15-18k, so 3x the original cost. 

The bunching at the eyes no one wants to address surgically, just recommending fillers and I am being told a brow lift will not correct it. 

Maybe when I have an actual lift done they can undo some of what was done. I can only hope.

Maybe if you are older this lift will work for you. I would like to see some patients a couple of years later and smiling, that's for sure.

You only have one face, please do tons of research and then loads more before you pull the trigger.