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Facelift, Necklift, Lipo Neck and Jowls, Buccal Fat Reduction, Lower Blepharoplasty - 5 STARS!!!
Apologies in advance for my lengthy review, but my intent is to be truly helpful to anyone seeking these or similar services from Dr. Donath. I am a little over 2 months post-op and I wanted to give my recovery a little time before I jumped in with comments. It seems like a lot of reviews simply state that results were great, Dr. Donath and staff were fantastic, etc. I wholeheartedly agree with these comments but I hope to provide more specific information about the procedure specifically and the recovery.
My husband dropped me off the morning of surgery at 6:45am and I believe I went home around 3:30 in the afternoon. When I got home I was very sleepy so I napped for a few hours, ate a little something later in the evening and then went to bed for the night. I woke up around midnight and was in 7 out of 10 pain. Dr. Donath had prescribed pain meds but I do not like taking them so I took over-the-counter Tylenol. I never ended up taking the prescribed medication and found the regular Tylenol to be adequate to control my discomfort. I took Tylenol regularly for about 4 days and after that I no longer had any pain.
The day after surgery my husband took me back to the office to have the drains removed. That was very helpful because it's hard to get comfortable with those and for the first couple of days I was just very tired and napped a lot. Throughout this whole process one of the hardest things for me has been my sleep. I am a side sleeper and it's very uncomfortable to do that for several weeks. Of course you are required to have someone with you for a specific period of time post-surgery. However, the wound care that is required post-op is pretty extensive. I was fortunate that my husband was home with me for 8 days post-op and he wasn't too squeamish to perform my wound care. For me personally, there is no way I could have done this without his help. So just be mindful that you may need more help than you think.
I thought the healing process was pretty quick but strange at times. It would seem like the swelling was improving but then I'd wake up the next day and I'd be swollen again. I was definitely swollen for a while. I would say it took a solid 6 weeks for all of the swelling to subside. After the first 2-3 weeks though the swelling is very subtle. I still have very faint bruising near my cheekbones but easily covered by minimal makeup. I still have quite a bit of numbness as well around the sides of my face near my ears. There is A LOT of numbness involved in this process so be aware.
I went back to work after 2 weeks - yes, at 2 weeks! My co-workers were all aware that I was having surgery but the resounding opinion was that if you didn't know me, you wouldn't notice the subtle swelling. And again, any bruising was mild at that point and easily concealed. The worst part of the entire surgery for me was - believe it or not - trouble with my eyes. I had some swelling at my temples which was not even enough to be noticeable really. But it was enough that it made me have some problems with my vision being blurry and causing eye strain. I had no difficulties with driving but computer work was difficult. I struggled with that for about a week to 10 days after I went back to work. Also, wearing glasses throughout this process was very difficult. It was very uncomfortable at times because they are sitting right over incisions behind the ears.
The cost for all this work was a total extravagance for me. The only way it worked in my personal situation is because I found myself in my mid-50's without any debt (no mortgage, no car loans, etc.), and really great credit. I also do the type of work that allows me to pick up extra hours to increase my income. Without all of these things aligning in my favor, I would never have been able to afford this. I was very intimidated by the idea of going to Dr. Donath's office because I assumed the parking lot would be full of expensive cars and the clientele would be the kind of people who are completely out of my league. I could not have been more wrong! I arrived in my Honda and was treated so nicely by every single person I encountered.
I really don't consider myself a vain person. I never thought anything about plastic surgery one way or the other. The only other thing I've ever done is some Botox treatments in my forehead and between my eyes and I didn't do that until I was in my early fifties. I buy what little makeup I wear at the grocery store. I just found myself looking at my reflection and becoming increasingly disheartened at what I saw. I hated my jowls and the big bags under my eyes. I looked much older than I feel on the inside. I have a lot of years left to get up and go into work every day and I no longer wanted to look like I did - old before my time. Some people definitely age better than others and I was not aging well.
As for the results? Unbelievable really. I easily look 15 years younger than I am. The results are incredibly natural looking. Literally everyone has said that if they hadn't seen me before they would have no idea that I'd had any work done. The scars are truly hidden. I feel fantastic and am so, SO happy with my results. I am extremely happy that I took the leap and did this and I have zero regrets.
My husband dropped me off the morning of surgery at 6:45am and I believe I went home around 3:30 in the afternoon. When I got home I was very sleepy so I napped for a few hours, ate a little something later in the evening and then went to bed for the night. I woke up around midnight and was in 7 out of 10 pain. Dr. Donath had prescribed pain meds but I do not like taking them so I took over-the-counter Tylenol. I never ended up taking the prescribed medication and found the regular Tylenol to be adequate to control my discomfort. I took Tylenol regularly for about 4 days and after that I no longer had any pain.
The day after surgery my husband took me back to the office to have the drains removed. That was very helpful because it's hard to get comfortable with those and for the first couple of days I was just very tired and napped a lot. Throughout this whole process one of the hardest things for me has been my sleep. I am a side sleeper and it's very uncomfortable to do that for several weeks. Of course you are required to have someone with you for a specific period of time post-surgery. However, the wound care that is required post-op is pretty extensive. I was fortunate that my husband was home with me for 8 days post-op and he wasn't too squeamish to perform my wound care. For me personally, there is no way I could have done this without his help. So just be mindful that you may need more help than you think.
I thought the healing process was pretty quick but strange at times. It would seem like the swelling was improving but then I'd wake up the next day and I'd be swollen again. I was definitely swollen for a while. I would say it took a solid 6 weeks for all of the swelling to subside. After the first 2-3 weeks though the swelling is very subtle. I still have very faint bruising near my cheekbones but easily covered by minimal makeup. I still have quite a bit of numbness as well around the sides of my face near my ears. There is A LOT of numbness involved in this process so be aware.
I went back to work after 2 weeks - yes, at 2 weeks! My co-workers were all aware that I was having surgery but the resounding opinion was that if you didn't know me, you wouldn't notice the subtle swelling. And again, any bruising was mild at that point and easily concealed. The worst part of the entire surgery for me was - believe it or not - trouble with my eyes. I had some swelling at my temples which was not even enough to be noticeable really. But it was enough that it made me have some problems with my vision being blurry and causing eye strain. I had no difficulties with driving but computer work was difficult. I struggled with that for about a week to 10 days after I went back to work. Also, wearing glasses throughout this process was very difficult. It was very uncomfortable at times because they are sitting right over incisions behind the ears.
The cost for all this work was a total extravagance for me. The only way it worked in my personal situation is because I found myself in my mid-50's without any debt (no mortgage, no car loans, etc.), and really great credit. I also do the type of work that allows me to pick up extra hours to increase my income. Without all of these things aligning in my favor, I would never have been able to afford this. I was very intimidated by the idea of going to Dr. Donath's office because I assumed the parking lot would be full of expensive cars and the clientele would be the kind of people who are completely out of my league. I could not have been more wrong! I arrived in my Honda and was treated so nicely by every single person I encountered.
I really don't consider myself a vain person. I never thought anything about plastic surgery one way or the other. The only other thing I've ever done is some Botox treatments in my forehead and between my eyes and I didn't do that until I was in my early fifties. I buy what little makeup I wear at the grocery store. I just found myself looking at my reflection and becoming increasingly disheartened at what I saw. I hated my jowls and the big bags under my eyes. I looked much older than I feel on the inside. I have a lot of years left to get up and go into work every day and I no longer wanted to look like I did - old before my time. Some people definitely age better than others and I was not aging well.
As for the results? Unbelievable really. I easily look 15 years younger than I am. The results are incredibly natural looking. Literally everyone has said that if they hadn't seen me before they would have no idea that I'd had any work done. The scars are truly hidden. I feel fantastic and am so, SO happy with my results. I am extremely happy that I took the leap and did this and I have zero regrets.
Provider Review
Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
7763 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, Ohio