POSTED UNDER Eyelid Surgery Reviews REVIEWS
Work on Self Love
ORIGINAL POST
Work on Self Love
spreading loveSeptember 13, 2023
I saw Dr straka for a lower blepharoplasty. I had eye bags after a stressful winter. And from his reviews online and Instagram. I went in for a consultation. Consultation went well and he seemed confident for the job.
Although I was still having doubts. His nurse Christina reassured me that I won't look different. I'll just look refreshed. He knows how much fat to remove based on my face ect.
Well here I am months later hollowed out under both eyes. Asymmetrical cause my right side is worse. And facial contouring is completely different. Went from looking tired to sick.
Needless to say this has been THEE worst decision of my life. Been depressed since and lost all interest in my usual activities. I will probably need filler if I want to remedy the problem. And of course tear trough filler is prone to more complications and risk than other areas. So please remember that.
I've since then have gone to about 20 different places for consultations, with all of them telling me something different. So I've came to the conclusion that in this line of work, they all have different ideas of beauty. And they'll all seem confident cause they want the work. So I'm working on acceptance and self love at this point, and trying to move forward. Trying to be thankful that outcome wasn't worse with serious medical complications. After hard researching and support groups I'm realizing that this is common. It doesn't matter if you go to Beverly Hills and pay 20k. Or if you find the best in your area. People have dastardly results and complications.
So please just reevaluate and make sure you can handle the outcome if it doesn't meet your expectations. And know they only post their best procedures online. And a lot of people suffer in silence. But really just focus on loving yourself as you are. We all age and you are beautiful the way God made you.
Although I was still having doubts. His nurse Christina reassured me that I won't look different. I'll just look refreshed. He knows how much fat to remove based on my face ect.
Well here I am months later hollowed out under both eyes. Asymmetrical cause my right side is worse. And facial contouring is completely different. Went from looking tired to sick.
Needless to say this has been THEE worst decision of my life. Been depressed since and lost all interest in my usual activities. I will probably need filler if I want to remedy the problem. And of course tear trough filler is prone to more complications and risk than other areas. So please remember that.
I've since then have gone to about 20 different places for consultations, with all of them telling me something different. So I've came to the conclusion that in this line of work, they all have different ideas of beauty. And they'll all seem confident cause they want the work. So I'm working on acceptance and self love at this point, and trying to move forward. Trying to be thankful that outcome wasn't worse with serious medical complications. After hard researching and support groups I'm realizing that this is common. It doesn't matter if you go to Beverly Hills and pay 20k. Or if you find the best in your area. People have dastardly results and complications.
So please just reevaluate and make sure you can handle the outcome if it doesn't meet your expectations. And know they only post their best procedures online. And a lot of people suffer in silence. But really just focus on loving yourself as you are. We all age and you are beautiful the way God made you.
spreading love's provider
Replies (37)
September 15, 2023
I am so sorry you are experiencing this . I am left completely hollow as well after fat repositioning. These drs explain this procedure as something simple and safe, and minimally invasive. just a little smoothing they say. And it's absolutely NOT that. It's incredibly invasive. What it does is hollow out your lash line and bulk up your midface. Your tear trough ligament is severed and your soof fat is lifted off the bone ! Then the orbital fat is stitched under that. Which makes is difficult to remove in a revision if you don't like it. And that orbital fat that was moved, can't be replaced if you are left hollow. Orbital fat is unique. Once it's gone or moved that's it. Filler to blend things is the only "safe" option. But even that will never fix the irregular contour and hollows .BEWARE of fat repositioning . It is NOT what the drs want you to believe
September 15, 2023
Reading your makes me want to throw up. I can't believe I allowed someone to do this to me given my age and what I went in for. I had such a small amount of herniated fat and zero hollows.
Everyone reading this - please please please avoid fat repositioning
Everyone reading this - please please please avoid fat repositioning
February 2, 2024
It's not about fat repositioning, I have the same issue because of usual fat removal, the fat from the orbit should not be removed from there, cause it's almost impossible to revert (I've read some articles from 80s about solid fat grafting for this problem with good results on photos but it seems it's too risky because looks like nobody does it anymore.
September 15, 2023
This review is so spot on and I’m sorry this happened to you. I also am experiencing very upsetting results especially from a lower blepharoplasty with fat repositioning. The common thread amongst many of us is we did not know the consequences of our surgery. Procedures were not explained and risks were extremely downplayed. The procedure leaving many of us upset over our outcome is fat repositioning. I don’t understand the obsession for this procedure when many of us are left devastated over the results. Instead of smoothing our lid/ cheek junction we are left with contour irregularities and mid face shape change now looking as if our cheeks have dropped and our mid face is flat. Not the refresh we had in mind when deciding to do surgery. Those that had prominent “ love bands” now find they were flattened, no longer seeing the muscle roll below our lashes. This becomes very traumatizing and was never explained that it would be done. Better communication is needed between patient and surgeon. So many of us long for a rewind button. If only we had learned to love ourselves more.
September 17, 2023
The funny thing is that they admit having observed that orbicularis-ligament release is a useless and lousy procedure, yet they keep performing it. Bizarre!
I don't know whether you can access the medical journals, but for sure google the abstract of "Orbicularis Retaining Ligament Release in Lower Blepharoplasty: Assessing Efficacy and Complications" (2018) DOI: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000000902
"Results:
There were no significant differences in overall aesthetic result, change in steatoblepharon or tear trough deformity, and postoperative ecchymosis in patients who had ORL release compared with those who did not. Patients who had ORL release had postoperative swelling and chemosis of significantly longer duration and a higher likelihood of developing postoperative ectropion.
Conclusions:
Orbicularis retaining ligament release does not appear to result in additional aesthetic benefit in lower blepharoplasty patients and may increase morbidity in the form of ectropion and prolonged swelling and chemosis."
Best,
I don't know whether you can access the medical journals, but for sure google the abstract of "Orbicularis Retaining Ligament Release in Lower Blepharoplasty: Assessing Efficacy and Complications" (2018) DOI: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000000902
"Results:
There were no significant differences in overall aesthetic result, change in steatoblepharon or tear trough deformity, and postoperative ecchymosis in patients who had ORL release compared with those who did not. Patients who had ORL release had postoperative swelling and chemosis of significantly longer duration and a higher likelihood of developing postoperative ectropion.
Conclusions:
Orbicularis retaining ligament release does not appear to result in additional aesthetic benefit in lower blepharoplasty patients and may increase morbidity in the form of ectropion and prolonged swelling and chemosis."
Best,
September 17, 2023
This is horrifying knowing there's studies about this, yet it still is done. What's even more bizarre is not looking at someone's anatomy and just doing one procedure. If you are not hollow YOU DO NOT NEED FAT REPOSITIONING. If you do not have a tear trough deformity YOU DO NOT NEED FAT REPOSITIONING. If you only have herniated fat likely YOU DO NOT NEED REPOSITIONING. The only time repositioning would make sense is if you are extremely hollow with large bags. Fat repositioning is literally is cheek procedure. It affects the top of your cheeks and your smile. My cheeks (and my retracted eye that Straka gave me) will likely drop with time. So upsetting
September 18, 2023
After I digging a little deeper into this matter, I gather that most surgeons perform only one standard, cookie-cutter bleph on every single patient. No matter what they tell patients during consults, no matter what patients ask for or need, no matter what you think they have pre-operatively “agreed” to do. To include many of the extremely expensive, highly regarded ones. If you go to Straka you’ll get a “Straka bleph,” if you go to Taban a “Taban bleph,” if you go to Holds a “Holds bleph,” and so on. And, what is more, if you notice a group of surgeons who often collaborate and co-author a lot of papers togethe, they are very likely to perform all the same exact bleph, with only minimal individual technique differences (slightly finer or chunkier fat pedicles, a slightly different fixation technique….). So, if you have consulted with one, you can save your money and skip the others in the same informal group (e.g., Massry-Holds-Wulc-Couch)… They will all recommend more or less the same one thing. I have learned this while researching revision candidates.
September 18, 2023
Such an accurate explanation. I thought only my small amount of herniated fat was getting repositioned to my hollow below. I had no idea that I was getting gutted under my lash line. I had large “ love bands” that was unique and beautiful to me and now when my face is at rest, my lash line is flat. When I smile, they bulge even more than before. I had no idea this area was being touched. This was never discussed and before and after photos of my surgeon shows them intact on his patients. Also my lower eyelids the contour has changed. I’m not sure why because that is not supposed to happen on a transconjunctival approach. Fat repositioning is aesthetically not giving the results they promise. Doing surgery that is individualized to the patient seems to be a marketing ploy as none of these top experts seem to be delivering on that promise.
September 18, 2023
Yep. It makes me upset because I put all of my trust in Dr. Straka. I just don't get how all of this happened. All I wanted was a very very small change. I was assured that I was a good candidate but I truly wasn't for fat repositioning. I had no room for the fat to go. Now the fat is visible when I make any face. And there's no way out of this. Dr. Straka offered to help but he's never dealt with this before (removing excess repositioned fat) and I'm too scared to ruin my face more. I want to trust him but I don't think I can get myself to try and fix this
September 20, 2023
Unfortunately, many negative reviews cite the extra bulging when smiling and contour changes to the lower eyelids. I absolutely agree with you: Fat repositioning seems like a marketing gimmick, but sadly one with devastating consequences. I saw my dermatologist (professor at WashU) yesterday, and she told me that her mom recently had a bleph with fat repositioning, performed by an oculoplastic surgeon who is also a professor at WashU, and she is extremely dissatisfied: endless downtime with prolonged swelling and excessive inflammation, etc. She regrets it too. Just another lousy procedure, just like fat grafting, IMO.
September 20, 2023
Both procedures are prone to unpredictable results and very disappointing outcomes leaving many of the patients devastated.
September 17, 2023
Judith N78 did you have a lower blepharoplasty? Yes it’s bizarre they write this journal yet still perform this procedure. Interesting. The question is, why? Actually the aesthetics is worse with the release of this ligament. Most who have had it done feel that way.
September 17, 2023
No, I am researching the possibility of undergoing a lower blepharoplasty (or a modified version thereof) to try to remedy another complication caused by a different procedure; i.e., fat grafting. I started noticing some discrepancies and oddities during the consults suggesting fat repositioning, and started looking into the evidence in support of the procedure as well as patient testimonials, which have made me reach the conclusion that it has probably a bad idea. That research has also left me further shocked and troubled by the world of plastic surgery, a world I wish I had stayed out of.
September 17, 2023
Same here. "Wished I would have stayed out of this industry as well" I see me trying to remedy this will only lead me down this rabbit whole. Trying to learn to live with it
September 17, 2023
My guess as to why would be that it is a gimmick that allows them to charge more and stand out among their colleagues by making the procedure seem more complicated than it needs be. Regarding both orbicularis-ligament release and fat repositioning in general.
September 17, 2023
I wish I stayed out of it as well. Definitely wish I stayed away from LA
September 17, 2023
I feel the same way: I wish to try to remedy my disfigurement but fear further botching. I am so sorry this happened to you. I was considering consulting with Dr. Straka untilI read your review. I consulted with Dr. Hwang at Cleveland Clinic, and she seemed honest. She declined to operate on me, however, owing to the high risk of complications. She was recommended to me by my dermatologist. I have not read any patient testimonials or reviews of her, though, so I cannot evaluate her, let alone recommend her.
September 17, 2023
You had fat grafting only as a stand alone procedure? That’s another procedure they downplay the risks. I had that as well.
September 17, 2023
Yes, standalone. You are 100% right, they downplay the risks. And nobody who seems ethical wants to risk a revision owing to the high risk of complications. That leaves me with the cookie-cutter Instagrams celebrity surgeons, who seem to stop at nothing to make a buck. They have told me so many flat-out lies (even just compared to their own published papers) during our consults, that could figure on the cover of the Book of [RS bleep]. Did your fat transfer go well?
September 17, 2023
Sorry about the typos. I need reading glasses and my phone is old and mischievous.
September 18, 2023
I am very sorry to hear that, but you can take comfort in the thought that it could be much worse after fat grafting… I have few small nodules and, what is especially bothersome, an eye bag on the right side that I did not previously have. And crepey, sagging skin from hyaluronidase before that (which the fat grafting was supposed to fix, but the surgeon transfered the fat to the wrong area: to the lower eyelid instead of the tear trough). No comment.
September 18, 2023
I’m sorry to hear that you experienced these issues. I believe fat grafting is too unpredictable to achieve good results. Especially to the delicate skin under your eyes. One side always seems to reabsorb more than the other. The surgeons foolishly overfill presuming 50% will reabsorb, stretching the skin. Once some of the fat grafting reabsorbs you are left with crepey, saggy skin and contour irregularities. TCA chemical peels help a little with the skin issues.
September 19, 2023
I have a series of four 35% TCA peels planned for the winter. I have been doing PRP microneedling (two of four planned sections), and it has already helped a lot with the hyaluronidase damage. I might try PRP or PRF injections next, after the peel. You are 100% correct: Periocular fat grafting is a terrible procedure, period.
I have the opposite of you. Dr. Straka repositioned my fat so poorly that I now have a huge bump on the left and I'm too full on the right. I'd love to be hollow. My contour is completely gone - he stole my beauty from me.
I'm glad you are focusing on self love