Fat Transfer Hand and Under Eye, Poor Results

I had fat transfer surgery with Dr. Lintner in February 2026 to address volume loss under my eyes and in my hands. I specifically sought treatment for hollowing in the under-eye area and was advised that fat transfer would provide a longer-lasting solution compared to fillers. This procedure was recommended to me by Rachel, who performs filler treatments.
Unfortunately, my experience was deeply disappointing.
During the preoperative consultation, I clearly explained that my primary concern was hollowing beneath the eyes. On the day of surgery, markings were made on my abdomen for fat harvesting, but there were no markings under my eyes or on my hands. Dr. Lintner explained that he would place injections above the knuckles to create a smooth contour across the hands.
Before the procedure began, I already felt uncomfortable with the interaction. I attempted to ease my anxiety with a lighthearted comment about hoping for a good result, and Dr. Lintner responded sharply in a manner I found dismissive and unprofessional. As a patient preparing for surgery, I would have expected reassurance and empathy rather than irritation. Once he has your money, he has no need to be nice.
The procedure itself was significantly more painful than I had anticipated. Although inhaled sedation was used, it did not really control pain, particularly around the eye area. During the treatment, I noticed more focus on the cheek and temple region rather than the under eyes, which were my primary concern. Much less time appeared to be spent treating the right side. My impression was that more fat was placed into my cheeks and temples than beneath my eyes, despite my explicit request being correction of under-eye hollowness. It was like he didn’t remember what I asked for but rather did what he wanted.
Regarding my hands, the injections were not placed above the knuckles as discussed during consultation. Instead, fat was injected below them, resulting in unevenness and increased prominence of the knuckles.
My bruising was severe, far beyond what had been described to me. I developed extensive bruising and dark discoloration under both eyes that required a long recovery period. As swelling subsided, it became apparent that the under-eye hollows had not been corrected. The right side in particular was sunken and unbalanced compared to the left.
At my follow-up appointments, I felt my concerns were dismissed rather than addressed constructively. When I expressed disappointment regarding the lack of volume beneath my eyes and the asymmetry between sides, Dr. Lintner appeared defensive and argumentative. His focus remained on the cheek area, which was not the treatment I had requested or paid for.
As healing progressed, I developed discoloration beneath my eyes, visible veins, and contour irregularities under my eyes. The left side had more fat than the right, creating noticeable imbalance. When I raised concerns about the possibility of permanent discoloration, I was advised to use bleaching cream or makeup. I found this response dismissive given the severity of the cosmetic changes.
The emotional impact of these results has been substantial. During one follow-up visit, I became visibly upset and began crying due to the appearance of my under-eye area. Rather than showing empathy, Dr. Lintner told me to stop crying because it would interfere with photographs being taken.
The only issue he acknowledged was that the hand injections had not been placed above the knuckles as originally discussed. I was repeatedly advised to “wait a few more months,” which left me feeling that my concerns were being delayed rather than addressed.
I later met with Rachel in hopes that filler could improve the sunken eye hollows and address the uneven eyes. It took forever to get to the appt with her. I was hoping she would help mask his uneven work. I went in and she was immediately like there is nothing I can do. I don’t want to cause blistering. I can’t hide the veins that are now protruding. I can’t hide the grey discoloration. So, I waited all that time waiting for her to do nothing. She said she had to protect herself. I was prescribed an expensive topical bleaching cream, which didn’t work and was told I could pay him to add more fat. I told her I didn’t trust him and asked for refund since he didn’t provide the service I paid for. She said he provided “a” service. Wow, they got their money and didn’t care what it did to me. She showed me no empathy and wasted my time. She never even replied about the refund. Once they have their money, they don’t care.
At this point, I have been left with persistent dark discoloration beneath my eyes, prominent veins that were not previously visible, asymmetry, and worsening of the hollow appearance I paid to have corrected. In building up the cheeks, which was not the service I requested, this made the hollows even more sunken than before. The entire tear trough area has a dark grey line from the nose all the way to the outer eye. The fat transfer to my hands did not take, making that portion of the procedure ineffective as well.
Most disappointing was the lack of compassion, accountability, and support I experienced throughout the process. I do not recommend Dr. Lintner. I would strongly encourage prospective patients to thoroughly research reviews and see how many negative ones are out there. I wish I had never gone there. I am much worse now and have to pay another doctor to fix the mess that was made. Zero stars.