POSTED UNDER Facelift REVIEWS
Poor results from the Biltmore lift
ORIGINAL POST
Well, its been 4 months since I had my lower...
OliviaP12September 20, 2017
$6,400
Well, its been 4 months since I had my lower facelift and my feelings have definitely cooled about the procedure. I've noticed that almost everyone posts immediately after surgery and looks awesome for the first few months, but then you tend not to hear anything after that. Initially I got a heart shaped face and fullness that made me look a good 10 years younger - I was overjoyed! But now that the swelling has subsided my face looks more or less as it did before the surgery. My jawline remains a big improvement - my profile is much better and no more worrying about a turkey gobbler! However other than that, there was no real improvement from the lift. The pulling of skin and the swelling from surgery also pushed some of the filler I had placed pre surgery in my upper cheek up under my eyes. So now I have the appearance of slight bags/ excessive fullness under the eye. My eyes are frequently puffy and have gotten much more sensitive and susceptible to allergies. I got pink eye about a month after the surgery (bad case of allergic conjunctivitis that turned into bacterial conjunctivitis from scratching) . I continue to have to monitor and lubricate my eyes, use compresses to reduce the appearance of swelling. In case you are wondering I did not have any surgery on my eyes, just my lower face. I still only have minimal feeling in the lateral cheeks to ears area.
I've also noticed that a lower facelift alone with any auxillary surgeries (such as a browlift, eyelift, or lip lift) your face seems a bit unbalanced. The aging in my eyes and mouth area now appear much more prominent and I think age me just as much as my jawline did before. So, all said and done I would say that if I had to do it all over again I would have waited until I could afford a full face lift which included deep plane lifting in the midface and pulling from the temporal area into the hairline. Yes the downtime is longer, the cost is higher and the surgery is more invasive but if you are looking for true rejuvenation that lasts more than a couple of months I think that is the way to go. The lift I had is good if someone is primarily concerned about the neck - namely the area directly under the chin. It also may be good if combined with complimentary procedures like a browlift and a lip lift but alone I'm not sure it is worth doing.
I've also noticed that a lower facelift alone with any auxillary surgeries (such as a browlift, eyelift, or lip lift) your face seems a bit unbalanced. The aging in my eyes and mouth area now appear much more prominent and I think age me just as much as my jawline did before. So, all said and done I would say that if I had to do it all over again I would have waited until I could afford a full face lift which included deep plane lifting in the midface and pulling from the temporal area into the hairline. Yes the downtime is longer, the cost is higher and the surgery is more invasive but if you are looking for true rejuvenation that lasts more than a couple of months I think that is the way to go. The lift I had is good if someone is primarily concerned about the neck - namely the area directly under the chin. It also may be good if combined with complimentary procedures like a browlift and a lip lift but alone I'm not sure it is worth doing.
OliviaP12's provider
UPDATED FROM OliviaP12
4 months post
Facelift outcomes after 2 months
OliviaP12September 23, 2017
After the surprising backlash I got from posting an honest 4 month update on my procedure, I decided in all fairness I should read some of the glowing reviews from other patients as suggested by my critics. I wanted to know if I was being unfair. So I grabbed a big cup of coffee this morning and read the reviews of 100 patients and here's what I found:
70 % of the reviews are written within 30 days after surgery, most of them are posted in the first 2 weeks. I'll admit, that's when I posted my review too - during that honeymoon phase when the face is swollen and beautifully lifted. Like everyone else I gave 5 stars and was positively euphoric about my procedure. However, 2 months post surgery if you look for updates on these reviews, all you get are crickets. Nothing. People fall off the board, many remove photos and won't respond to requests from prospective patients to update their results.
The remaining 30% of people did post updates from 3-12 months after surgery:
5 people posted at 3-6 months as happy - with Biltmore lift and no additional procedures
5 people posted 3-12 months as unhappy - with Biltmore lift and no additional procedures
25 people posted 3-12 months as happy - with Biltmore lift PLUS additional procedures done either at the same time of surgery, or within the year following surgery. ALL of these people added an upper/lower bleth or browlift to their lower facelift procedure. Many also had added fillers within months of surgery. I saw no 6 mo+ satisfied reviews which did not include multi procedures, and only 1 review after 2 years (the reviewer reported satisfaction after adding a browlift). Again, I did not read all reviews, only 100 reviews.
Plastic surgery is an investment, especially for those flying in from out of state. For me with travel expenses, the pet sitter, food, hotel and unpaid time off work, I estimate this cost me around $10,000 to do - so yes, the results matter. I love that boards such as RealSelf exist to help people in the decision making process. However, due to the very small percentage of reviews from anyone posting results after 2 months I got the impression that the mini lift would have a more rejuvenating result than it did. Knowing what I do now I realize that a deep plane lift would have been better for me OR a combined procedure of the Biltmore lift with an upper and lower bleth. It would have been cheaper for me to do the eye lifts with the facelift. As a stand alone surgery the eyelifts will now cost me more, I've have another 2 weeks in lost time/income from work etc.
None of this is any way the Doctor's fault. He is not the one posting the reviews. But for prospective patients trying to make a decision, reading only glowing reviews from people 2-4 weeks after surgery is like someone trying to decide on whether or not to get married by talking solely to newlyweds still on their honeymoons. And that is why I'm posting here now - to help others ask the right questions, consider all of the options, and add on to the surgery as appropriate to get a truly stunning result that they will be thrilled with long after the post surgery swelling has dissipated.
I'd like to add that 100% of people reviewing had nothing but good things to say about Dr. Harley. He is an honest, caring and down to earth doctor and his skill and integrity are beyond reproach. Best of luck to all of you lovely ladies in your metamorphosis to the new and more youthful you.
70 % of the reviews are written within 30 days after surgery, most of them are posted in the first 2 weeks. I'll admit, that's when I posted my review too - during that honeymoon phase when the face is swollen and beautifully lifted. Like everyone else I gave 5 stars and was positively euphoric about my procedure. However, 2 months post surgery if you look for updates on these reviews, all you get are crickets. Nothing. People fall off the board, many remove photos and won't respond to requests from prospective patients to update their results.
The remaining 30% of people did post updates from 3-12 months after surgery:
5 people posted at 3-6 months as happy - with Biltmore lift and no additional procedures
5 people posted 3-12 months as unhappy - with Biltmore lift and no additional procedures
25 people posted 3-12 months as happy - with Biltmore lift PLUS additional procedures done either at the same time of surgery, or within the year following surgery. ALL of these people added an upper/lower bleth or browlift to their lower facelift procedure. Many also had added fillers within months of surgery. I saw no 6 mo+ satisfied reviews which did not include multi procedures, and only 1 review after 2 years (the reviewer reported satisfaction after adding a browlift). Again, I did not read all reviews, only 100 reviews.
Plastic surgery is an investment, especially for those flying in from out of state. For me with travel expenses, the pet sitter, food, hotel and unpaid time off work, I estimate this cost me around $10,000 to do - so yes, the results matter. I love that boards such as RealSelf exist to help people in the decision making process. However, due to the very small percentage of reviews from anyone posting results after 2 months I got the impression that the mini lift would have a more rejuvenating result than it did. Knowing what I do now I realize that a deep plane lift would have been better for me OR a combined procedure of the Biltmore lift with an upper and lower bleth. It would have been cheaper for me to do the eye lifts with the facelift. As a stand alone surgery the eyelifts will now cost me more, I've have another 2 weeks in lost time/income from work etc.
None of this is any way the Doctor's fault. He is not the one posting the reviews. But for prospective patients trying to make a decision, reading only glowing reviews from people 2-4 weeks after surgery is like someone trying to decide on whether or not to get married by talking solely to newlyweds still on their honeymoons. And that is why I'm posting here now - to help others ask the right questions, consider all of the options, and add on to the surgery as appropriate to get a truly stunning result that they will be thrilled with long after the post surgery swelling has dissipated.
I'd like to add that 100% of people reviewing had nothing but good things to say about Dr. Harley. He is an honest, caring and down to earth doctor and his skill and integrity are beyond reproach. Best of luck to all of you lovely ladies in your metamorphosis to the new and more youthful you.
Replies (91)
September 23, 2017
Thank You for this!
September 24, 2017
Hi Bamagirl1163! May I ask whoand what r u having done to correct and add to the Biltmore Lift? Thanks!
September 26, 2017
I'm on my 4th consult. I'm have a 5th consult with Dr Harley on Oct 9th. I've gotten 4 different views on what's needed to fix this. Mine was not. Biltmore lift. Mine was a mini lift from another doctor. Dr Martin in Mobile AL. 2 say neck lift. 2 day full face lift.
September 23, 2017
Olivia...your Review Headline is, I think, the problem. You said you got "Less than stellar results from Lower face neck lift"~ Biltmore lift. But most of your comments suggest that you were expecting a totally rejuvenated total face from a lower SMAS procedure. which is not a fair expectation. And you expected that, not b/c of anything the doctor told you, but from misguided reliance of overly-exuberant (which I concur they often are) Reviews on RS. That's like saying I got a cat based on pet reviews and I'm disappointed she doesn't bark when someone comes to the door or play fetch with me in the back yard. Your Biltmore lift gave you a stellar result for what it is technically designed to do. And btw.....the deep plane would not have done anything to improve the eye, brow, or obviously the lip so why would choosing that technique been a better choice. If you have aging eyes, or lips or a brow then you can't substitute a deep plane face lift for fixing those specific areas. If that were the case then deep plane practitioners would not, as they frequently do, be combining the deep plane with other "add-ons".
September 23, 2017
Hi Grace - have you had a facelift? It sounds as you speak more from doing a lot of reading about them without actually experiencing it yourself . You are correct about the RS Reviews misleading me about the procedure -and believe me there are others who have had the same procedure and have expressed the same dissatisfaction. Mini lift or not no one goes into surgery to come away without any discernable change after 2-3 months so no, the results were not stellar. You would have to read thru the details of my review to know why I made the comment about having ancillary procedures . For one, doing the lower face alone makes the face look unbalanced. A full facelift will address more than just the lower face - but can be more invasive and more exoensive than someone might want to do. If I had done the lower facelift with eyelifts (as most of the satisfied patients did) then I feel there would have been better balance in the end result. I think people considering this will really only get a bang for their buck if they combine procedures for more comprehensive rejuvenation
September 23, 2017
I sat for 4 hrs with a PS who only does deep plane b/c he so believes in them. That led me to read as much as a lay person could get their hands on about the relative difference in both the near and long term of that vs the SMASectomy. So the thing that most struck me was that, as a substitute for the deep plane, you would now seek to do eyes, brows etc and are advising others to do this at the same time. What I am saying is that the deep plane's improvement of the upper face is Subtle, very subtle. Doing the eyes or the brow (esp since any brow work is at a height substantially above the incision area of the deep plane) is not a reasonable substitute. You don't say "my upper face could use a little subtle lift like I might get from a deep plane so I think I'll get my eyes done and my brows lifted." Or at least from my tutorial and follow up reading/reasearch I wouldn't think that. And no....have had upper eyes only done decades ago.
September 23, 2017
Grace with all due respect to your extensive research unless you have have experienced a facelift you don't have the same kind of knowledge as others who have gone thru a surgery, watched their face change in favorable or unfavorable ways and ended up realizing what they could have done differently to achieve better results . You can try as hard as you can to understand from a philosophical standpoint but it is not the same. The RS reviews from other patients who have had a lower facelift are the closest I will get to real results that don't come from a consult or a textbook since those sources of info are theoretical not literal . All I know is that the people who have had eyelifts with their lower facelifts are much happier with the overall result. Why ? Who knows- maybe because the face is more balanced , maybe because a rejuvenated eye/brow draws focus away from a lower face lift that didn't turn out as sharp as expected . I've had several people message me who had the same surgery done and have exactly the same complaints and are now seeking ancillary surgeries. These are not things you will learn from tutorials !
September 23, 2017
Have you had a deep plane face lift? Then using you logic (the one that says I couldnt know what I am talking about if I didn't have a lift) how do you know the degree of improvement you'd have gotten from a deep plane? Yet, that seems to be at the heart of your disappointment. The Biltmore, even though it did perfectly what it is said to do, didn't do as much to improve your "result" as a deep plane. how do you know? And simply having more people who are disappointed that their cat isn't very good at playing frisbee doesn't mean he isn't excellent at being a cat. It really only means they had equally bad information and expectations about what a cat was supposed to do.
September 23, 2017
Lol Grace you've lost me . You seem to have missed the point of my post which was a) very few people who have had the Biltmore lift post favorable results after the 2 month honeymoon period and b) the people who do post favorable results past 2 months got the Biltmore lift WITH ancillary procedures. Are you doing research to get a facelift or just interested in debating the reviews of actual patients for entertainment ?
September 23, 2017
I am doing research. And the point of your post was that you had less than stellar results and that a deep plane would have been the right choice for you. The confusion is largely because of what you wrote. " So my disappointment in the surgery is solely based on the fact that it did not improve the one area I most wanted to improve - my jawline." Jawline, you said; Not eyes, brows or lips. Jawline. After that you spoke many times of the Biltmore being the wrong procedure; that you should have gotten a deep plane. The pivot to other reviews seemed to only come in response to others suggesting that the majority of patients are happy. That led you down a completely different path. But it was not your at all part of your original assessment of the lift results or what would have been the better choice.
September 23, 2017
Grace you are making a simple post more complicated than it needs to be. I've noticed you have tried to debunk other patients facelift posts as well - why ? You haven't had surgery - people post here to share their surgical experiences and you haven't had one so why are you even posting at all ? The bottom line is the lift did not change the look of my face much, and I believe there were procedures better suited to achieve the changes I wanted. Period. Until you have had a facelift yourself, experienced swelling, pain, facial changes, healing and scarring your assessments are really baseless.
September 24, 2017
RS, owners of this site, have set out TOS. RS is not a site reserved only for people who have had surgery ( I have had an upper eye lift) to share their surgical experience. And comments are not limited to those who have had any particular type of surgery~ or surgery at all for that matter. Each person who comes here has the option to start their own internet site where they CAN make the rules. Am I the only one who's read the RS Terms of Service for participating on this site?
September 24, 2017
I totally get everything you've said. I did have a mini lift 18 mo ago and my jaw line and neck are worse than before I had it. So I'm saving up to have this mess fixed thank you for your honesty because I have been asking myself lol the things you answered about The Biltmore lift and the lack of reviews after 3 months. I've private messaged several who have have had this lift. Several never responded but the ones who did are not happy. I just know that any type of mini lift is not going to help me. I'm so glad you posted this review. Thank you
September 25, 2017
Bamagirl....how is it worse? I sure hope your experience is not common post surgery - I can live with my face being unchanged, but I sure hope it doesn't end up getting worse with time :( Please elaborate
September 25, 2017
adding my 2 cents. it is high time the Harley honey gig is being open to more light; He does a good job and exactly what he advertises. he cares about his patients and wants them happy. a large proportion need more than the BL, even the younger gals. this adds up after travel and other expenses over time. his lift will never change your eyes unless u have a bleph. neither will a deep plane do much for this area. A deep plane on the other hand does address Jowling better than the BL due to the technique. it would be great if this conversation could maintain civility as we all need to be more informed. Grace is a wealth of info due to extensive research. I think it boils down to realistic expectations and I enjoy the cat/ dog analogy. the reason I cancelled Harley after research is that his procedure was not enough for my condition. this was very clear to me. my doc wanted to do some under eye with deep plane but I chose IV anesthesia instead as I could not afford both. lets continue to inform others with out getting personal as this is why most of us join this site. best to all. do your homework! barbydoll
September 25, 2017
Hey Olivia. I have much more sagging under my chin. I have weird puffiness under my eyes and
September 25, 2017
My marionette lines are deeper. He di do some liposuction under my chin so my face does look thinner but it left loose skin after all the swelling went down. After about 6 months everything just started to fall.
September 25, 2017
How've odd - I have puffiness under the eyes too that I never had before. My chin and neck look great but I'm only 4 months out so I hope I don't experience what you have. Do you feel Ike you did get some improvement in certain areas of your face that has been lasting ?
September 25, 2017
Olivia and Bama.....you two did not have the same doctor, did you. Everything from a skin-only lift to a SMAS imbrication are lumped under the general header of "mini lift". Not that many include a platsymaplasty which is important for stabilizing the mid-line of the neck. And it seems like Bama had lipo under her chin. Lipo is, IMO, not a precise for de-fating the neck/under chin area. It can leave irregular fat removal with lumps, dips etc. So, I guess it's good to get everyone's negative comments on their mini-lift but it is giving the impression that there aren't distinct differences between techniques with regard to quality and longevity.
September 25, 2017
I had lipo under the chin too, but I have an incision under the chin so I assume there was both fat removal and tightening done. Nama did you have any tightening done on the neck ?
September 25, 2017
Olivia...did you have lipo. I didn't know he ever did that. chin scar is access for platysmaplasty (assume he still does this with every BL) so he would have taken fat manually. But you think he now does lipo instead?
September 26, 2017
The only improvement is that my face is thinner. And feel that is because of the liposuction. I have filler in my cheeks and jaw line. Marionette lines and nasal labial folds. My neck was the only improvement after surgery and it became saggy and truly worse than before surgery from about 6-8 months.
September 26, 2017
Now I did not have he Biltmore lift. I'm making sure you saw that. Mine was called a quick lift. My Dr was Dr Martin in Mobile AL. (The Martin Center).
September 26, 2017
No. He did not tighten under my chin. Also Biltmore lift look like there is also longer incisions behind the ears and up further into the hair in front of the ears.
September 26, 2017
Right. We did not have the same doctor. In my surgery SMAS and skin was lifted but no incision under the chin so platsmaplasty wasn't done. Just liposuction. And yes I have dips and loose skin.
September 26, 2017
I am assuming that Dr Harley still does a platsymaplasty with each Biltmore lift and that he manually removes the fat in the neck area. That should ensure that it last a lot longer than a short scar that only uses lipo and does no internal suturing of the mid line neck esp on anyone forming bands. Sounds like a night and day difference from what you had, Bama. I think the fact that Dr H doesn't use lipo is why the neck relatively bruise free even immediately post op.
September 26, 2017
Thank you grace60, for making a break through on this confusing discussion. At first, I thought Bama had surgery by Dr. H! Your research and knowledge is very helpful.
September 26, 2017
Grace, honestly I'm not entirely sure about the lipo- I wasn't really given a very detailed explanation of the surgery so it may have actually been manual fat removal and not lipo.
UPDATED FROM OliviaP12
7 months post
Rare 6 month post surgery review of the Biltmore Facelift!
OliviaP12December 2, 2017
For those of you following the long term results of the Biltmore Facelift I am here to post my 6 month update. I have changed the review as Not Worth It for reasons I am going to explain. However, because my last update caused so much controversy please be aware I will not engage in any form of debate on this blog. If you have questions about the details of my experience feel free to message me and I will be happy to talk to you, but I will not be responding to combative or incendiary responses.
As noted at the 4 month update, I developed significant problems with my eyes after the facelift. The bags became so pronounced they were causing vision disturbance and massive sinus pressure. After two rounds of antibiotics and a CT scan it was decided that the facelift had pushed existing filler in my upper cheeks into my lower eyes and against my sinuses and needed to be removed. The last 2 months I have been in pain, waking up every day with eyes practically swollen shut, living in fear wondering how bad this was going to get. The suggested antidote was weekly injections of an enzyme called Vitrase to dissolve the filler bags and relieve the occular pressure. The good news is the bags are mostly gone, my lower eyes swell less at night and I am off the antibiotic though still taking flonase to keep the sinus swelling down. The bad news is the Vitrase has destroyed my eyes. The enzyme effectively dissolves filler, but it also dissolves your own tissue. I have been left with huge hollows under my eyes and crepy sagging skin. It looks horrible. I have become so self conscious of my appearance I can barely look anyone in the eye. I have no other choice but to spend $5000 for a lower eye lift to fix this. The most infuriating thing is this was entirely avoidable. I asked Dr. Harley during my consult if I needed to stop getting filler for the 5 months I waited for surgery and he said no, it would enhance my results so I continued to have it done.On the day of surgery Dr. Harley did not once touch my face to feel where the filler was located, nor did he ask me where I had been injected, what types of fillers I had been using, how much and how recent. As a result, the surgery and swelling pushed the filler into my lower eyes and now even with more surgery my eyes will never look the same again.
As far as the rest of my face, once the post surgical swelling totally resolved (between months 5 and 6) I lost all of my facial volume. It looks as if I have lost at least 10 pounds (though I haven't) and my face is more gaunt and slack than it has ever been. The jowls came back 100%. Seriously - I look at photos of myself from less than a year ago and can't believe the difference. I've had 5 syringes of Voluma injected into lateral areas around my face (by the ears and jawline) to try to prop it back up. 6 months after I had a facelift I look like I need a facelift! I've already spent $3500 and will spend at least $5000 more once the eyelift is done trying to fix what my face looks like now. This has been a financial disaster - and the $$$ bleeding continues. I will have a better idea after the eye lift and the continued filler just how much it will cost me to get back to a point where I can look in the mirror and feel I look as good as I did before the facelift.
I know what you are going to ask next - did I discuss my issues with Dr. Harley? Did I make him aware of what was happening? Emphatically YES. Dr. Harley initially responded to my emails with the pictures of my bulging bags and sagging skin and asked me to keep him informed and told me he would be happy to take a look if I was able to fly to Ashville to see him. That's when I realized that although Dr. Harley seeks out patients from all over the country he actually is not equipped to help out of town patients. Unless you live local or don't mind buying a plane ticket for each follow up visit he will not be able to help you. As my results and my health got worse, Dr. Harley stopped responding to me entirely. All of what I am sharing with you here now was shared with him multiple times in private, to which he had no response. No suggestions, no concerns, no offers to remedy nor to refund a portion of the cost for the costly complications caused by his oversight with the filler in my face and the very short term benefit I got from the facelift.
As I said before, I made the mistake of choosing this doctor and this procedure based solely on the reviews on this page....reviews that are made by people mere weeks after surgery before they will realize that the procedure lasts about as long as a syringe of filler. Since my procedure I have found other pages online with very different reviews of Dr Harley - things I wish I had seen before I made my choice to have this surgery. Because the reviews on this site are misleading (since they are not reflective of the final surgical outcomes) I tried to review Dr. Harley on Google to let others know there are issues with this procedure. However, Dr. Harley flagged my review there for removal - Google said they were told it wasn't a real review so it was removed. I guess the doctor doesn't want people to realize this surgery is not the miracle procedure that these reviews would lead you to believe it is.
At the end of the day ladies, plastic surgery is not something you should be buying on the internet based on reviews. This is not Amazon - you aren't buying a tablet with hundreds of 5 star reviews that you can return and get a refund if it isn't what you thought it would be. This is surgery - its risky, its expensive and its permanent. People have gotten nerve damage from the Biltmore lift, I had complications, others have complained of scarring, infections and the return of laxity in the skin. People are flying to Ashville for this surgery without even having a proper consult! By the time you actually meet the doctor in person, its too late to turn back. I know now after working with another doctor who touches my face and has asked me to come in multiple times to consult over plans for surgery that this is not something that should be done over the phone, nor in a 5 minute consult before surgery.
Most of us get plastic surgery because we want to feel better about the way we look. I convinced my husband spending the money for this would be a great thing for us because I would stop spending as much money on fillers every month and I would have a much better confidence level with my face lifted. I was wrong on both counts. I spent over $10K to have the surgery done (with travel) and I'm still spending as much as I ever did on filler AND I have to have another surgery. My confidence level has been lower that ever before because my eyes look so awful and my face has become so gaunt. The stress of it along with the pain, sinus infections. conjuntivitis, the intermittent swelling at night has AGED me. Not only do I not look younger, I actually look older than I did 6 months ago and I no longer feel pretty even when I'm fully made up.
Lots of you reading this have already scheduled your surgery and you're going to do what you're going to do. But if my post can help even one person from going through what I have gone through the last few months then its worth me taking the time I've had to take, letters I've had to write, complaints I've had to file just to be able to get this information to the public. Best of luck in your personal journeys ladies.
As noted at the 4 month update, I developed significant problems with my eyes after the facelift. The bags became so pronounced they were causing vision disturbance and massive sinus pressure. After two rounds of antibiotics and a CT scan it was decided that the facelift had pushed existing filler in my upper cheeks into my lower eyes and against my sinuses and needed to be removed. The last 2 months I have been in pain, waking up every day with eyes practically swollen shut, living in fear wondering how bad this was going to get. The suggested antidote was weekly injections of an enzyme called Vitrase to dissolve the filler bags and relieve the occular pressure. The good news is the bags are mostly gone, my lower eyes swell less at night and I am off the antibiotic though still taking flonase to keep the sinus swelling down. The bad news is the Vitrase has destroyed my eyes. The enzyme effectively dissolves filler, but it also dissolves your own tissue. I have been left with huge hollows under my eyes and crepy sagging skin. It looks horrible. I have become so self conscious of my appearance I can barely look anyone in the eye. I have no other choice but to spend $5000 for a lower eye lift to fix this. The most infuriating thing is this was entirely avoidable. I asked Dr. Harley during my consult if I needed to stop getting filler for the 5 months I waited for surgery and he said no, it would enhance my results so I continued to have it done.On the day of surgery Dr. Harley did not once touch my face to feel where the filler was located, nor did he ask me where I had been injected, what types of fillers I had been using, how much and how recent. As a result, the surgery and swelling pushed the filler into my lower eyes and now even with more surgery my eyes will never look the same again.
As far as the rest of my face, once the post surgical swelling totally resolved (between months 5 and 6) I lost all of my facial volume. It looks as if I have lost at least 10 pounds (though I haven't) and my face is more gaunt and slack than it has ever been. The jowls came back 100%. Seriously - I look at photos of myself from less than a year ago and can't believe the difference. I've had 5 syringes of Voluma injected into lateral areas around my face (by the ears and jawline) to try to prop it back up. 6 months after I had a facelift I look like I need a facelift! I've already spent $3500 and will spend at least $5000 more once the eyelift is done trying to fix what my face looks like now. This has been a financial disaster - and the $$$ bleeding continues. I will have a better idea after the eye lift and the continued filler just how much it will cost me to get back to a point where I can look in the mirror and feel I look as good as I did before the facelift.
I know what you are going to ask next - did I discuss my issues with Dr. Harley? Did I make him aware of what was happening? Emphatically YES. Dr. Harley initially responded to my emails with the pictures of my bulging bags and sagging skin and asked me to keep him informed and told me he would be happy to take a look if I was able to fly to Ashville to see him. That's when I realized that although Dr. Harley seeks out patients from all over the country he actually is not equipped to help out of town patients. Unless you live local or don't mind buying a plane ticket for each follow up visit he will not be able to help you. As my results and my health got worse, Dr. Harley stopped responding to me entirely. All of what I am sharing with you here now was shared with him multiple times in private, to which he had no response. No suggestions, no concerns, no offers to remedy nor to refund a portion of the cost for the costly complications caused by his oversight with the filler in my face and the very short term benefit I got from the facelift.
As I said before, I made the mistake of choosing this doctor and this procedure based solely on the reviews on this page....reviews that are made by people mere weeks after surgery before they will realize that the procedure lasts about as long as a syringe of filler. Since my procedure I have found other pages online with very different reviews of Dr Harley - things I wish I had seen before I made my choice to have this surgery. Because the reviews on this site are misleading (since they are not reflective of the final surgical outcomes) I tried to review Dr. Harley on Google to let others know there are issues with this procedure. However, Dr. Harley flagged my review there for removal - Google said they were told it wasn't a real review so it was removed. I guess the doctor doesn't want people to realize this surgery is not the miracle procedure that these reviews would lead you to believe it is.
At the end of the day ladies, plastic surgery is not something you should be buying on the internet based on reviews. This is not Amazon - you aren't buying a tablet with hundreds of 5 star reviews that you can return and get a refund if it isn't what you thought it would be. This is surgery - its risky, its expensive and its permanent. People have gotten nerve damage from the Biltmore lift, I had complications, others have complained of scarring, infections and the return of laxity in the skin. People are flying to Ashville for this surgery without even having a proper consult! By the time you actually meet the doctor in person, its too late to turn back. I know now after working with another doctor who touches my face and has asked me to come in multiple times to consult over plans for surgery that this is not something that should be done over the phone, nor in a 5 minute consult before surgery.
Most of us get plastic surgery because we want to feel better about the way we look. I convinced my husband spending the money for this would be a great thing for us because I would stop spending as much money on fillers every month and I would have a much better confidence level with my face lifted. I was wrong on both counts. I spent over $10K to have the surgery done (with travel) and I'm still spending as much as I ever did on filler AND I have to have another surgery. My confidence level has been lower that ever before because my eyes look so awful and my face has become so gaunt. The stress of it along with the pain, sinus infections. conjuntivitis, the intermittent swelling at night has AGED me. Not only do I not look younger, I actually look older than I did 6 months ago and I no longer feel pretty even when I'm fully made up.
Lots of you reading this have already scheduled your surgery and you're going to do what you're going to do. But if my post can help even one person from going through what I have gone through the last few months then its worth me taking the time I've had to take, letters I've had to write, complaints I've had to file just to be able to get this information to the public. Best of luck in your personal journeys ladies.
Replies (146)
December 2, 2017
Thank you very much for your review. I had my doubts of the Biltmore Lift because most of them are done right after surgery and very few reviews follow up at 6 months and 1 year post op. You confirmed what I feared. I hope you have been able to correct the issues you described. Was fat grafting suggested for your loss of facial volume?
December 2, 2017
Dr. Harley doesn't do fat grafting. I have had some other consults and it appears that fat grafting is less popular with doctors than it was in the past. I think I am stuck with spending thousands annually on filler as I did before surgery and will probably get a full facelift (where they pull the skin into the hair line and up into the temples) within the next 5 years.
December 2, 2017
Again, THANK YOU so much for your review. I hope you get all your issues resolved but really stinks you have to shell out thousands of dollars to do so.
God Bless
God Bless
December 2, 2017
Be very careful about fat grafting because it will follow your body weight trend at a 10 year distance. I had some minimal fat grafting done in 2004, it looked like it was almost gone for a long time, but now that I have gained some weight the fat under the eyes bulges out and it is very visible under certain lights. With time, I have come to dislike and avoid any type of filler, but if filler is a choice then definitively avoid all sort of permanent fillers (including fat), because their behavior is entirely unpredictable.
December 2, 2017
Hi There, I just read what you’ve been going through and I honestly don’t know what to say, I feel so so bad that this happened to you. I’m scheduled for my Biltmore lift on January 2018 and because of your review I’m 90% sure I’m losing my deposit. At first when I was reading your story right at the beginning when you first started having doubts you said the procedure was fine for those who just want their next necks done. That is exactly what I’m looking for but that has definitely changed now that I’m done reading your entire review. I’m praying you feel better very soon, you deserve to look better and for this to be in the past.
I’m not doing it, no way ugh it sucks big time. I stopped doing filler on my face about a year or two ago. The filler somehow created under eye bags, very strange because it was only injected on my face. I’m finally having it dissolved in a couple of weeks with a dr I also found on RS. I met him and liked him but in reality who the hell knows what I’ll look like when I walk out of the place. Well Ive decided I rather do just my eyes and the hell with The Biltmore Lift.
Please let me know if you’re willing to send me pics of before and after. Like I said I’ve gotten filler on my face and now I have bags under my eyes so I wonder what would happen to my eyes and my cheeks. You sound similar to me with what I’ve done to my face.
Again, I want to thank you for your honest review, I’ve changed my mind I’m canceling the procedure on Monday, I can’t do it
Rossanna
December 2, 2017
Rossana, as I said before my neck turned out well - time will tell if it lasts but for the moment the area from under the jaw down looks good. However, I did not present for surgery to correct my neck - I may have been aging in the neck but that didn't concern me as did my ugly boxy face with jowls. I wish I would have known that the surgery would do nothing at all for the area I was trying to fix. As far as the eye bags from filler let me just say that I have been getting filler done for almost 10 years and have NEVER had this problem before. And it wasn't just cosmetic bags - it was like having someone with their thumb pressed against my lower eyes pushing them back into the sockets the pressure was so bad. Please be VERY careful of who you let dissolve the filler and make sure they dilute the Vitrase and do a series a small injections. Don't forget the enzyme doesn't stay right in the eye bag, it is migrating to under the eye, the upper cheek, etc. Too much and your eye and face will go flat and the loss of collagen in your lower eyelid will be noticable. I've been doing microneedling and chemical peels, growth factors etc to try to improve the look of the skin before I have my under eye surgery. I would also recommend PRP injections to help rebuild the tissue.
December 2, 2017
Yes Kmbrid I have alot of explaining to do to my husband :-( I was lucky he agreed to me spending the money for the surgery and the travel - we had to give up our vacation together this year for me to be able to do it. Now I'm right back to square one, plus no vacation and lots of $$$$ wasted.
December 8, 2017
The doctor I scheduled of wanted to add in fat grafting but I declined because of the extra cost. Later I read where one doctor didn't advise it under the eye. Also the new fillers that can be dissolved sound good though they are expensive. Either way I"m more interested in the neck and lower face! They say they add on stuff to make more money!
December 8, 2017
I have heard about that microneedling! I have never done a chemical peel! Does it make you face look shiny after?
December 8, 2017
It's scary, I'm seeing another doctor here and he's double board certified but last week I backed out and then changed my mind again! It's a long ways off till my vacation so I have time if I change my mind! It's for a Deep Plane lift. His photos are great. It's much more expensive here in Ma. Dr. Frank Fechner ! I absolutely need my neck more than anything!
December 8, 2017
Did you cancel? I did, not sure I did the right thing. I was also scheduled in January.
December 9, 2017
Be very careful with any filler being placed under the eye. Though HA fillers can be dissolved with enzymes, the enzymes will destroy the skin under your eyes. Always better to look at doing a lower eyelift than to try to resolve with fillers. Microneedling and peels are safe for everyone when done correctly! They do not leave you shiny in a bad way, but they do help exfoliate the upper layers of skin to expose the firmer more luminiscent skin underneath.
December 9, 2017
Olivia you said something in an earlier post about repairing muscles in the neck causing palsy...I need my neck fixed also along with a facelift and am concerned with this piece of info. Did you read about Harley’s patient with the lip issue after her surgury?
December 9, 2017
Olivia you are right about filler under the eye. I had such a hard time with that very thing!!! Even a lower Bleph didn’t get rid of it!! I’ve dime the dissolver and a steroid shot. It’s not swollen now but I know there is still some filler under my right eye. When I shine a bright light on it, I can see it under the skin :(
December 10, 2017
Yes Map1959 I am aware there have been some people who had nerve issues causing lip palsy after their lift. We all know there are risks with any surgery - my point in making that comment was just to say don't assume a mini lift means less risk. I feel very fortunate that I didn't have any issues with nerves, but I am dealing with my own surgery complications so just want people to be prepared for whatever cards fate deals if they are doing a long distance procedure.
December 10, 2017
Tabitha isn't is dreadful? You should see my poor left eye - its swollen on the lid and there is a bag of filler underneath so the eye looks like half the size of my other eye. The vitrase has created a big dent under my eye into my upper cheek so the left half of my face looks like it belongs to another person. From the moment I wake up until the moment I fall asleep I am nervous and depressed about my appearance now. I'm going to have an eyelift to try to fix it in the next couple of months, but honestly my eye isn't even well enough to do the surgery yet. I'm on another round of antibiotics and steroid drops trying to get rid of the swelling and redness. :(
December 10, 2017
Rossana I just read your question to the doctors about the failed PDO threadlift. Please listen to the advice of Dr. Kulbersh! I had an endotine lift done in 2015 because the surgeon (Dr. Cynthia Gregg, Raleigh NC) convinced me to do the endotine over a facelift. The dissolveable suture did nothing for me other than create facial assymetry because she pulled one side tighter than the other. After that total waste of money, time and pain I then made the mistake of choosing another "minimally invasive" procedure this year to try to fix the problem. Here I am today in the hole by $15K for both procedures and I still do not have a youthful or improved result. Dr. Kulbresh recommended that you do a full face and neck lift with fat grafting - and I think unless you do the full lift you will most likely be unsatisfied with the results and will have wasted more money. There are no shortcuts or discounts to getting real rejuvenation.
December 2, 2017
I am so sorry you had such a bad experience at the same time you confirmed all my opinions of dr. Harley, I started reading reviews of him 2 years ago and was thinking of choosing him but after a year reading cases of damage nerve, terrible scars, etc. I changed my mind. I hope patients can be careful and read your review. Good luck.
December 2, 2017
Thank you for coming back!! When you took your review down it was so discouraging and typical of what happens in Realself. I hated what you were going through. Hopefully Realself will allow this honest review to stay. I too ended up going to a certain surgeon for a lip lift that was hyped here and on other message and review boards. In fact real self even removed legitimate negative reviews for this doctor. One of the negative reviews that is still on this site had to be locked down because the poor reviewer was being constantly attacked by the doctors "so called happy patients" or staff??? Plus the doctor himself came on the review and openly attacked the patient and divulged personal information about the reviewer. The other thing I found out is that this doctor does not have a stellar reputation locally but with Realself and the internet any doctor can drum up business now and become a "top doctor" All they need to do is answer questions on Realself all day, have a Facebook and Instagram page and hire an expensive marketing team. It's really digusting. But Dr Harley seems to have created his cult following just from the reviews on Realself. I think Realself should consider changing their rating system so that you cannot post a worth it or not worth it rating until 8 months past but I am sure the doctors would never agree to that.
December 2, 2017
Lostbeauty its a long story about what happened with my review and my account but suffice to say this has opened my eyes about the validity of online ratings and reviews. As a result of this experience I've now also discovered that businesses (and doctors) are allowed to get rid of any negative reviews on Google and Yelp. I think the RealSelf site reviews would be considered much more legit if they automatically removed any reviews for surgery that aren't updated at the 6 month and 12 month mark. Positive reviews that are posted less than two months after surgery and never updated once the final results are visible are misleading; they compromise the integrity of the content on this site.
December 28, 2017
December 28, 2017
December 2, 2017
Olivia, I am so glad you came back and posted your review and your very reasonable thoughts and considerations. I have followed you in the past and I have been shocked by how other "Harley's honeys" on this board have attacked your honest review (how can we forget forty, the world expert of plastic surgery and the most fervent follower of Dr. Harley? By the way I think she has renamed herself to another username).
Personally, you (and a few other long term reviews) have been decisive in making up my mind about NOT seeking surgery with Dr. Harley.
Thank you!
Personally, you (and a few other long term reviews) have been decisive in making up my mind about NOT seeking surgery with Dr. Harley.
Thank you!
December 28, 2017
Same here, will not go blindly due to rave reviews from Harley Honeys.......really a bad way to choose one's plastic surgeons. We should contact those that are over 6 months to years.
January 3, 2018
Chiquibon I have been saying that from the beginning - contact people after 6 months but few people listen.
Replies (190)