POSTED UNDER Lower Facelift Reviews
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UPDATED FROM Anon19482017
2 years post
2 Years After Terrible Facelift Heartbroken
$8,600
If you want work done on your face, stay far away from Dr. Michael Thomassen of Ft. Lauderdale. I went to him at a low point in my life for a "Lower Facelift" and tightening of my neck. Now, two years later, his clumsy hand and outdated technique have left me with lumpy scars and "cutting" lines (where he made his cuts) under my skin that appear mostly when I smile and ruin my looks for photos, video and under any overhead lighting. For a professional actor and model, this has practically destroyed any prospects of a lucrative career. Dr. Thomassen ruined my face.
Anon19482017's provider
UPDATED FROM Anon19482017
1 year post
If I had only known
Heartbroken about what I've done to my face. I should've showed photos of myself younger, and definitely should've left my upper face alone. I bow have a "hard" look, and when I smile, my eyes used to turn up at the outer corners, now they turn down. It's amazing what a fraction of an inch can change everything. Now I will have to get more procedures. What shoud I do? Fat transfer to fill the hollow cheeks? Can that smooth out the lumpy cheekbones too? I would like to see Before & After pics of facial injections.
Replies (5)
March 19, 2017
Sorry to hear of your troubles. Do not lose heart to find a good doctor. I just had a lower facelift done (and I'm still recovering in India - day 7 post op). The procedure was called smas. I also had upper and lower blepharoplasty, with lip under neck and fat transfer to parts of my cheeks. I am totally over the moon with my results.
Don't make excuses for your surgeon. He did not consider your overall result. They well know what the effect of doing one thing here will have on another elsewhere. They are the ones who should be guiding you. My surgeon (Dr Sameer Karkhanis) discussed all ramifications of the proposed work when I told him what my concerns were and he gave me his ideas re what could be done, what it would look like and discussed post op swelling, healing times, all. It's his job. You are not paying for a bricklayer, you are paying for a surgeon and that includes his expertise in outcomes. If you are unhappy with the result, you should have put it to him to repair what he did or put in a complaint to the relevant authorities. However, if you like to travel, consider consulting my surgeon in India. You can talk to him via Skype for an initial consult for a small fee and can email pics and discuss anything and everything via email at no charge. You can get so many more procedures done here in India for a good price. I also had breast reduction and upper arm lipo. All these procedures were virtually painless.
I am not such a technical person that I went into so many details with him. But he is an artist and would never leave a patient looking bad and he made sure all bases were covered. It's his job and patients talk far and wide and compare results. You should never have a poor outcome.
regarding the lots of bleeding you were talking about: were you on any supplements like fish oil, msn or anything else within two weeks of surgery? Anything that might thin the blood has to be discontinued and then you can start again 4 days post op is what I was told. Worked well for me. Please have a look at my page about the facelift for pics and a review of my surgeon. India is amazing and they take care of you like a princess here. I'm going to come here again hopefully later in the year if I can save up enough.
This surgeon has let you down.
Don't make excuses for your surgeon. He did not consider your overall result. They well know what the effect of doing one thing here will have on another elsewhere. They are the ones who should be guiding you. My surgeon (Dr Sameer Karkhanis) discussed all ramifications of the proposed work when I told him what my concerns were and he gave me his ideas re what could be done, what it would look like and discussed post op swelling, healing times, all. It's his job. You are not paying for a bricklayer, you are paying for a surgeon and that includes his expertise in outcomes. If you are unhappy with the result, you should have put it to him to repair what he did or put in a complaint to the relevant authorities. However, if you like to travel, consider consulting my surgeon in India. You can talk to him via Skype for an initial consult for a small fee and can email pics and discuss anything and everything via email at no charge. You can get so many more procedures done here in India for a good price. I also had breast reduction and upper arm lipo. All these procedures were virtually painless.
I am not such a technical person that I went into so many details with him. But he is an artist and would never leave a patient looking bad and he made sure all bases were covered. It's his job and patients talk far and wide and compare results. You should never have a poor outcome.
regarding the lots of bleeding you were talking about: were you on any supplements like fish oil, msn or anything else within two weeks of surgery? Anything that might thin the blood has to be discontinued and then you can start again 4 days post op is what I was told. Worked well for me. Please have a look at my page about the facelift for pics and a review of my surgeon. India is amazing and they take care of you like a princess here. I'm going to come here again hopefully later in the year if I can save up enough.
This surgeon has let you down.
March 20, 2017
Unfortunately here in the states it is very difficult to take a PS to task. Unless you have a legal case which will bring in huge money and what was done is considered below standard of malpractice, no lawyer will take on the case. I've been through this myself where my PS did a horrible job and now I need to have more surgery (by another surgeon) to hopefully correct it.
March 20, 2017
Good to hear you are going to have another doctor do the corrections. Hope it works out well for you.
March 28, 2017
Are you planning on having a revision? there are 2 great doctors in FT Lauderdale. I am just deciding between the 2 of them.
March 28, 2017
I have no idea if it can be fixed since it's so lumpy. Don't know if they will need to laser away some scar tissue or add fat or pull tighter.
March 29, 2017
They usually do not laser away scar tissue. If it is mild they can do steroid shots but as in my case, they have to open and release the scar tissue via surgery. I had fat transfer from the facial plastic surgeon who botched me and I will tell you it doesn't really last also it is not always reliable. The new dr I found re-distributes your fat instead of adding fat. You should seek other opinions. The original dr made a mess out of me and now need to have more surgery to correct it.
March 29, 2017
If you search the dr I used all you see are 5 star reviews because he has all negative reviews removed off of all sites. So keep in mind that apparently you cannot trust a lot of these reviews.
March 31, 2017
Bristlenose: Thank you for your astute input. To answer your question, I followed instructions to the letter, took nothing that might thin the blood. It must've been some blood vessels that burst. I had a big bruise at the jaw on the side that bled, and nothing like it anyplace else, just a few smaller bruises at the neck. I would love to go to your highly recommended doctor, but that would be way too time consuming. I'm still considering whether to go back to Dr. Thomassen and see if he can show me how he could improve on his handiwork with fat transfer or further tightening. The problem is, I would like to talk to him, not his staff.
March 19, 2017
For around US$10,000 plus airfares I got three procedures, all medications, pre op investigations and aftercare and a full month's accommodation.
March 28, 2017
We can never KNOW for sure how plastic surgery will turn out. I had breast reconstruction at a major teaching hospital in DC by the head of the Reconstruction and Plastic Surgery department and it turned out to be a disaster! I suppose the more consultations we have the more of an educated decision we can make, but I am frighteningly aware of the risks. I need a lower face lift that only addresses the neck and jowl area, but after at least a dozen consultations I am no closer to doing it. If and when I do, I am pretty sure that I will go to someone who only does faces. But then again, it can be a very expensive mistake. Thank you for sharing your story.
Warm Regards
Warm Regards
March 28, 2017
Lovereviews.....Because I traveled by car from SC to DE every yr for nearly a decade, I decided, one year, to extend the trip a bit to do many consults with surgeons along (and in one case off the beaten path) my route. I met with a large group practice in Reston, 2 docs in the greater DC area, one in Richmond, one in VA Beach, and one in Raleigh. I also had consults with 2 highly regarded doctors in Nashville TN and one in Atlanta. All had different recommendations. All wanted to use either IV sedation or general anesthesia. None compared in results for lower neck/face than Dr Harley in Asheville. If I had only neck and jowl issues (I also want/need upper eye) I would choose him. Clearly no doctor has more experience with precisely THE procedure/technique that addresses the issue you have described than he does. His Biltmore lift, has a very very low probability of permanent nerve damage as the lifting is not done at the plane/level where functional nerves reside (as does the deep plane lift). Anyway, just my 2 cents worth....I am not a professional, have no technical knowledge beyond my own layman's research but have done a ton of serious reading and picking surgeon's brains in lengthy consults.
June 10, 2017
I am so sorry about what you have been through and I know you are heartbroken. I can read it in your review and feel it. Nothing is worse than to invest your money into wanting to feel better about you just to be left with worries and regrets. I am not sure if you are willing to do another procedure to get the results you want, but I can't recommend Dr. Harley enough. The price for a lower and neck is 6400! He has women from all over the world and US coming to see him for a very good reason and if you search on here, he has done several revisions on women in similar situations as you and some way, way, way worse. I am pulling for you and I am so sorry you are in this position. Please know you are supported here, you can vent here, cry here, share here and we are all your family here. Hugs, love and light. Please continue to share your journey.
August 2, 2017
Anon: What did you end up doing, if anything? I have the same dimples in my cheeks, under my cheekbones. Still deciding how I feel about that, as it's only been 5 weeks. On one hand, it emphasizes my cheekbones. On the other hand, it is kind of a tell-tale sign that work was done? I wouldn't mind, if he had actually gotten rid of my jowls but they are already coming back. So I feel your pain. :(
UPDATED FROM Anon19482017
10 months post
If I Knew Then
Had I known my cheeks could become gaunt, lumpy and hollow with a lower facelift I would've just done the neck tightening and jawline. I'm trying not to be depressed about it, but I regret touching my midface. It's not what I planned for. I just wanted the lower face done and to leave my cheekbones alone. They now appear pointy and misshapen , and the apple of the cheeks are depleted.
Replies (3)
January 26, 2017
Dee, can you do a picture in the same position with the same lighting and the same smile? I don't think we are comparing apples with apples.
June 17, 2017
So sorry to hear about your mid-face lift what bad luck. I am nearly 70 and I had a midface lift together with face, neck, jowls and eyes. Excellent result for the midface lift, very natural. I have to have a slight revision for my neck after 1 year it has loosened somewhat. My surgeon is going to rectify this (no charge). Even with the revision to the neck I look about 15 years younger at least! There are some excellent surgeons out there but it is a bit of a roulette game if you dont them. My surgery was carried out in the UK under local and no problems with healing at all. and I cant recommend my surgeon enough, superb. I do hope you find the right surgeon. Keep us posted.
Best of luck.
Best of luck.
Replies (3)