Revisional Eyelid Surgery Including Scar Revision, Skin Pinch, Canthopexy, Zplasty and Fat Transfer - Dallas, TX

Ok...so...this is the first review I have ever written but I wanted to share my experience so that hopefully I can help others in their journey and keep them from making the same mistakes I did. Unfortunately, I had not heard of Realself until after I was botched. But I hope this will at least help some of you doing your homework in advance and those of you, like me, desperately seeking revision.
I lost a year of my life after letting a doctor destroy my eyes! I didn't do my homework at all...just took him at his word that he would make me look younger. I feel like such a fool too...but he made it seem like such a simple procedure....so I trusted him. I had upper and lower bleph and fractional CO2 laser a little over a year ago....so after my original surgeon cut away fat from my eyes....which should have never been done in the first place....he then cranked up the laser and did 3 passes over my eyes which I believe did even more damage! Once the swelling went down I went into complete panic mode from this skeletoized appearance I saw in the mirror! It didn't happen immediately either...or I simply just did not notice right away because I was busy with home repairs and work and life in general. Plus, because of the laser I had a lot of extra swelling and redness to my entire face so I wasn't hyper focused on my eyes...because my whole face was a nightmare. But slowly over the next couple of months following surgery I started to realize something was terribly wrong! My eyes began caving in especially in the corners. They were rounded and beady and my lower lids began drooping because there was no fat to support them....and instead of the youthful eyes I was promised, I aged drastically and was left with distorted ugly skeleton eyes! I also had terribly crepey skin under my eyes too because my original surgeon only removed fat from my lower lids and said the laser would tighten the skin....which it did not at all...just zapped more fat and left me with more wrinkles to go along with the hollows. Seriously, I looked like the Crypt Keeper!
I immediately ran from one injector to another for fillers to try and camouflage the hollowness....but it just seemed to make matters worse. I hid my face behind my hair and glasses and never left my house. If it had not been for my family and friends and this site and some amazing women I met along the way I'm sure I would have ended up in the looney bin instead of Dr. Rohrich's office! So...A Big Thank You to everyone who took the time to post and respond to my emails! I will certainly be paying it forward!
I had already been to a few different consults with other doctors but no one had a solution for me. One doctor flat out told me that once the fat has been removed there was no way to put it back in...which I know now is completely false....but I remember crying the entire 4 hour drive back home from that consult.
I also remember how depressed and scared I was during my first consult with Dr. R! I was a complete mess but he had a calming way about him and had what seemed to be a real solution for me. I was still terrified and the thought of trusting another doctor after you have been botched is a very difficult thing to do...as many of you know unfortunately! During my consult my mind went blank. After I got back home my mind was flooded with all of the questions that completely escaped me during my consult. So...I sent Dr. Rohrich a very detailed email with at least 6 or 7 detailed questions. Within the hour he personally responded and answered each and every question of mine in detail! And of course there were more to follow before my second consult and even more after that...which again he personally answered...and always very quickly and always within the same day! My third consult with him was the week before surgery. He was very reassuring and went over every last detail with me. He told me to relax and not to worry....to leave the worrying to him...that was his job.
I'm sure no doctor wants to be in the position to have to try and correct someone else's sloppy work...but he did it anyway....and did it flawlessly!
He was very honest and never promised perfection either but he did say he could make them better. Well....my eyes were never perfect before so I would have been great with any improvement! But let me say that Dr.R was extremely humble by saying that because he did make them perfect...in my opinion anyway...which is really all that matters!
He performed a revisional upper and lower bleph, including a canthopexy and zplasty for inner canthal webbing and orbital fat grafting.
Immediately post op my sister came into recovery to get me and I asked her in a very chipper voice, "How do I look?" She was scared to answer as she replied, "Like the joker!" Lol! And she snapped a photo so you can clearly see I did! I was pretty scary but it's amazing what a few days will do because I was looking more human with each passing day!
The swelling fluctuated and some days were worse than others....and some days my right eye was more swollen...and some days my left. He said during surgery he had to remove a lot of scar tissue...more from my right eye and so he had to add more fat to that eye.
My eyes haven't really hurt much during the healing phase...just a bit uncomfortable and strained more than anything...and of course dry and watery but I use the eye drops regularly and the Refresh pm ointment at bedtime and every day they improve. But my thighs from where he harvested the fat! OMG! That was another story! That was pretty darn painful and they turned black and blue! It looked as though someone had taken a baseball bat to them and felt like I had spent 1000 straight hours on a thigh master! Also, several days post op my calf muscles ached terribly.
Im not gonna lie...it was pretty scary during the first few days post op especially after spending hours and days reading about what can go wrong! I had bullfrog eyes for what seemed like an eternity but gradually the swelling has subsided and they are looking much better. I still have a little puffiness especially in the mornings but I think my allergies have been exacerbating it a bit so I have been taking Advill Sinus and Cold for the past couple of days and it seems to be helping!
He said I will most likely end up needing a touch up with fat down the road so I'm already mentally prepared for that. He also told me to avoid the mirrors during my healing process...which is great advice because the mirror is clearly not your friend and can add to your stress. So...I have tried my best to follow my doctor's orders and took Xanax regularly...especially during that first week! :)
Dr. Rohrich is also unbelievably amazing with follow up too! Now if I know he is in surgery and I have a question or concern I will just call his nurse Debbie and she always gets right back to me! She is great! But if it is an evening or or weekend or after hours I will just email him directly. He gave me his cell number after my first consult and told me to call if I needed anything but I just email because I have had no major emergencies. But...OMG...I believe it was the second Saturday evening post op that I sent him a question via email at 7:14 pm and I got a reply from him at 7:15 pm! I had barely hit send! And there was another email I sent him the following Sunday morning which he replied to within 2 minutes! HANDS DOWN....BEST POST OP CARE EVER!
Also...a word of advice which was offered to me so I'm passing it along...You have to learn to let go of what you looked like before in order to heal mentally. Even though I look MUCH better than I did after I was botched...I still look a bit different than the old me. I'm totally fine with that though because this face I can definitely live with...unlike the other! Also, I had some slight asymetris before my first surgery...which we pretty much all do. I know it is difficult not to fixate on all the imperfections...especially after a botched procedure...but once you do and start focusing on the positive you will feel so much better!
It has been just under a month since my revision with Dr. Rohrich and I couldn't be happier! He truly is an artist and takes pride in his work and it shows! I am lucky to have found him! He gave me my eyes, my smile, my sanity and my life back! To him I will be eternally grateful! :)
I will be more than happy to answer any questions anyone has for me...but just be patient with me cause I'm not on here non stop burning through all my data like I initially was when I was frantically seeking help...so it may take me a few days to respond. ;)
Good luck to everyone and don't give up hope! There are qualified surgeons out there who can work wonders...Dr. Rohrich being one of them and the ONLY doctor I will ever trust with my face again!
You just have to do your research and learn to put your trust in their hands. I definitely did my homework this time around...and even though I felt confident in my choice...it was still not an easy decision to make. I was so back and forth! But I am very glad that I did because choosing Dr. Rohrich for my revision was the best decision I made and he exceeded my expectations! So...Thank You Dr. Rohrich! YOU ARE THE ABSOLUTE BEST! :)

So far everything is settling in great and all the bruising has faded completely and my scars are gradually softening and fading as well. My lower lids are still a little puffy but no hard lumps or anything out of the norm. The outer corners are gradually settling into place and I only have a feeling of minor tightness remaining in the right eye. It also seems to be more swollen and tearing up a little bit throughout the day but it was the one he had to do more work on and add more fat to so it's been through hell and healing just a bit slower than my left....but nothing I can't deal with!

I know I will continue to heal and that some of the fat will reabsorb over the next few months so I am sure any residual puffiness will resolve....so I am not worried about my outcome because I can see past it! But seriously...even if I was left with this slight puffiness I would take that anyday over the hollows! Besides...Dr. Rohrich restored the shape of my eyes and they no longer look rounded and unnatural like some creepy skeletoized anime character! So....I am very happy! When I look in the mirror I can recognize myself again and no longer want to cry! I actually smile....which is something I had not done in so long that I had forgotten what it felt like! I am happy for the first time in over a year! :)