POSTED UNDER Buccal Fat Removal Reviews
Seeking Refinement Before 35.
UPDATED FROM SLCMama
2 months post
6 Week Follow-Up
SLCMamaJune 8, 2016
WORTH IT$3,045
I had my 6 week follow-up appointment with Dr. Bitner today. Attached are some of the before and after photos taken by his wonderful nurse, Jaime. The effect of the buccal fat pad removal is very subtle but elegant. I am very happy with my results.
SLCMama's provider
UPDATED FROM SLCMama
1 month post
6 Weeks Post-Op
SLCMamaMay 31, 2016
It's been 6 weeks since my surgery. I heard back from Dr. Bitner on my questions about 2 weeks after I originally sent them and followed up. His answers on itching and whatnot were consistent with what I had learned and implemented from RealSelf. I have been getting a lot of random "you look great"s and compliments from a wide range of people, none of which know I had surgery. I feel great but occasionally notice that my submental area still feels a bit odd. I feel that my scars under my chin and behind my ears feel very raised especially when compared to my scars from BA. I am hoping that kenalog injections may be an option and will help reduce them a little bit. I look forward to getting a little more in terms of lip injections and I will be using glabella Botox for a long time to come. I wish the sculptra had done a bit more. I think I need to maybe add a bit more volume to my upper cheeks still. The buccal fat removal is increasingly beautiful. The Submental lipo is the best money I ever spent. I hope this little update helps someone. xo
Replies (1)
June 8, 2016
You do look good- but do you feel like it was worth it? Maybe its the lighting, but the before and after shots you added to this post look almost identical. Is it the same as the 'before' shot you added to your very first post? In that one, your nasal labial folds are much more prominent.
June 8, 2016
Yes, I couldn't find the original photo in which I was tired and you could tell how bad my nasal labial folds could get without my beauty rest. Now, no matter little sleep I get, people say I look great. Haha! Fillers (fat and Restalayne) are amazing! The overall effect of all my procedures was very subtle and to me all were worth it. I look a decade younger, more rested and refined, AND no one can tell I got anything done. :)
June 8, 2016
I guess the subtlety is part of the appeal ;)
Thank you for posting this--it's made me realize that I want something more dramatic than buccal fat removal to get those supermodel cheekbones. But I'm sincerely glad that you're happy with your results! Just keep healing ♡
Thank you for posting this--it's made me realize that I want something more dramatic than buccal fat removal to get those supermodel cheekbones. But I'm sincerely glad that you're happy with your results! Just keep healing ♡
June 8, 2016
Thanks! I'm fully healed and the recovery was very easy. If you want dramatic, high, sculpted, super model cheeks, you may want to look into cheek implants. Good luck!
UPDATED FROM SLCMama
21 days post
3 Weeks Post-Op
SLCMamaMay 9, 2016
It's been 3 weeks since my surgery consisting of buccal fat pad removal, submental liposuction, sculptra, dermal fillers and Botox. While I am happy with the surgical results, I am unhappy that I have gotten zero response from Dr. Bitner or his office on my concerns from last week. That said, the incision itching seems to be slowly resolving and responding to a Benadryl cream, and truth be told the incisions look great. Without feedback, I've decided to massage the submental area lightly based on what I've seen from other doctors here on RealSelf. I've also been applying Mederma cream (both SPF and advanced) on the scars. I want to inject the chin scar with kenalog because it feels very raised to me. I can tell there is still quite a bit of swelling in my face/cheeks depending on the time of day and my salt consumption, but overall I look much better than before surgery. I hope that the sculptra continues to increase the volume in my upper cheeks. I miss some of the post-injection swelling in my lips so I may consider adding some juvederm at my follow-up. I have lost volume in my marionette lines so I imagine that none of the fat transferred survived. Oh well! It was worth a shot. The Botox finally kicked in for my brow lift last week, so that was a nice surprise. I can stop wearing my compression garment tonight but I'll probably wear it for a few more days. Most of the numbness is gone from the Submental region and my mouth is 100% normal (can yawn, eat, chew without discomfort). All bruising is gone. Fingers crossed that the sculptra keeps working! Happy healing to all. :)
Replies (4)
May 14, 2016
Wow you look awesome! I'm just concerned about the office correspondence there. How do you feel about that? Are you using the same surgeon for future procedures?
May 14, 2016
Thank you. I am happy with my result but the lack of communication is certainly giving me pause as to whether I would use Dr. B again. Botox/fillers, yes, but another surgery? Not so much. It's been almost 2 weeks now and I've heard ZIP. The lack of support is disconcerting.
May 14, 2016
I would definitely send him a personal e-mail discussing your concern. You love your results but you need to let him know that you are still his patient. Do they have a Patient Coordinator? PS ASST.?
May 14, 2016
Great minds! I just sent yet another one asking if there was a reason why I had not received a response to my concerns. It's unacceptable to ignore patients but I try to give folks the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there is a good reason to ignore a patient for almost 2 weeks? I'll keep you posted! And many sincere thanks again for your help and concern. :)
May 14, 2016
Gosh. That is definitely not very professional. You are still his patient. Hope you get reply soon!
May 14, 2016
Definitely keep us posted. That's why we have sites like these and courageous people like you who share your story with us and the community. Thank you :-D
May 15, 2016
That is not only rude of them but bad medicine. The itching is a common post surgery concern and he could have at least had a nurse respond to you!!
Replies (5)
Your facial structure is so similar to mine at your age that i want to share a couple of thoughts. (I hope you didn't think you were getting through this comment without some unsolicited advice from a stranger!)
First, adding volume (filler) to my naturally small cheekbones made a huge difference - I almost cried with happiness the first time I saw the results. I've maintained them and still appreciate them. But there's a caveat - you really don't want to overdo the filer. And by 'you', I mean you in particular. When you have a naturally full lower face, filler can cause your skin to bunch in weird and unattractive ways. It can also add more heaviness. I learned an expensive lesson. So my $.02 to you is that if you decide to do it, find someone who is able to explain how he/she avoids those issues.
Second, and I don't in any way mean to scare you, but I suggest watching your neck for early platysmal banding. It happened to me (at 28!) as a result of the submental lipo. I later learned it's a fairly common consequence. It's the result of removing a bit too much fat. But Botox helps it a lot - and if you start Botox early, it can help prevent it from worsening.
(I guess that's more like $.06. Best of luck and enjoy your pretty face!)
Thank you
That said, like others have shared, fillers are necessary as I’ve gotten older to keep my cheeks lifted and jowls minimal. (This may have happened anyway.)
Another thing that was a real game changer for my face shape was starting Botox in my jaw (masseter muscle).
It took over a year of consistent Botox to start seeing results.
Now, not only do I rarely get headaches, but my face shape has totally changed to be more heart shaped.
Honestly, more people should probably do this, but I think that it requires more patience to see results than folks tend to have.
Another note is that if you’re also getting fat transfer, getting the fat liposuctioned from areas that don’t have cellulite will make those areas look like they have cellulite later, so be careful with that!
Good luck! I think you’re in good hands with Dr. Bitner.