Deeply Traumatizing Experience – Severe Complications and Lack of Post-Operative Care

After months of attempting to secure a proper in-person post-operative evaluation for the damage Dr. Careaga caused, I was abruptly informed — without warning — that my patient contract had been terminated.

The reason? An unfounded assumption that I had contacted an attorney. I had not.

There was no conversation. No verification. No opportunity to be heard. Just a cold administrative dismissal.

I was discarded the moment accountability became inconvenient.

Dr. Careaga did not reach out. He did not examine the outcome of his own work. He did not offer explanation, ownership, or even basic human decency in the form of an apology. He chose silence.

The results of his surgery were not minor imperfections. They were severe, disfiguring, and devastating. And instead of confronting what he created, he chose to sever the relationship and retreat behind paperwork.

This is not just negligence. It is abandonment.

Patients place their bodies, their trust, and their futures in a surgeon’s hands. When complications arise — especially catastrophic ones — the ethical response is transparency and responsibility. Not erasure.

Be very careful who you trust with your face, your body, your life.

Some doctors operate.
Others disappear.

I also recently discovered he had a death the same year he operated on me with the same procedure on a poor mother of three. I can’t imagine how he handled that. That poor family was probably never even confronted.

HORRIFIC & INHUMANE

Deeply Traumatizing Experience – Severe Complications and Lack of Post-Operative Care

26 year old 5”4 125 pounds

I had an extremely distressing experience with this surgeon and their clinic. I underwent a fat transfer to the hips and breast augmentation to correct asymmetry. Over a year and three months post-op, I am still experiencing significant complications: severe, persistent bruising; discolored, lumpy scar tissue; and worsened breast asymmetry. My breasts are now overly large, painful, and sit unnaturally far apart, almost under my armpits.

At one week post-op, I developed full-body hives of unknown origin. It took two days for the clinic to see me, during which time I was instructed to discontinue all pain medication and antibiotics but offered no alternative relief. I endured severe pain, swelling, and itching without medical support. The clinic made no follow-up calls; I had to initiate all communication myself.

Despite undergoing nearly 60 lymphatic drainage massages (well beyond the 10 they recommended), my symptoms persisted. At my 6-month follow-up, my concerns about residual lumps and bruising were dismissed. I was told to wait it out. No further care or treatment was offered.

1 year and 3 months later these botched side effects remain.

The lack of accountability and empathy from both the surgeon and staff has been appalling. I have not been offered IPL or any post-op treatments to address the disfigurement caused by their aggressive technique. It seems the clinic prioritizes financial gain over patient outcomes and comfort.

Every post op meeting felt like a rushed speed meet.

In contrast, my recent rhinoplasty with another surgeon was handled with care, professionalism, and detailed attention. When I shared my previous trauma, he proactively offered free IPL in case of long-term bruising—demonstrating a stark difference in patient care and ethical responsibility.

I now regret ever stepping into this office. I look and feel worse than before the procedure. This has been the most painful and emotionally damaging medical experience of my life.

I am going in for another post op to see if there is anything they will do to compensate for the botched job, especially the extreme bruising. I will update on this thread after the matter.

Any good artist or surgeon would want to complete the work they started with integrity attention to detail and empathy in this case.

I had beautiful young skin before the surgery now I look like I’ve aged nearly 50 years. My breast are even more asymmetrical….i am beyond heart broken.