POSTED UNDER Eyelid Surgery REVIEWS
Toxic Experience Caveat Emptor. Lone Tree, CO
ORIGINAL POST
My upper and lower blepharoplasty was performed by...
poweroutageinORMarch 21, 2015
$6,200
My upper and lower blepharoplasty was performed by Dr Stephen Weber, Lone Tree, Colorado.
Doctor Weber’s office staff is pleasant and professional and meets the standard.
I met with Dr Weber for initial consultation where he was civilized and professional. Did I care for his bedside manner? No. Every shopkeeper will have worked out a demeanor which doesn’t include self sabotage or immediately deflect potential clientele. Deceptive, sad and true.
I was shown his? portfolio.
Here are the critical hiring considerations:
Skills
Corpus mentis
Professional ethics & accountability
The doctor’s real or fictitious attributes (e.g., “humanitarian”) are of no relevance. Do not put yourself in a harm’s way because you’re reading into the situation. Marketing machinery will rave up any pond into an ocean. Don't delude yourself as No.15 blade will in the same hands cut the same. Multiple board certification equals jack of all trades, master of none. Anything other than local anesthesia with sedation amounts to anathema.
The day of surgery came and went. As the swelling and bruising subsided the workmanship revealed itself. Eight months later things looked much worse.
I was left with:
minor lower lid but gross upper lid asymmetry
upper lid hollowing on one side
loose skin on other side
my almond eyes became ugly downturned short & round
wrinkles where there were none before
crepey unhealthy looking skin
massively crude & irregular scars
ptosis and collapsed orbital structure
Your blepharoplasty surgeon MUST be:
oculoplastic
member of ASOPRS
20+ years experience
not just highly skilled and meticulous but an aesthete
Dr Weber's surgical skill is rudimentary and substandard. He surely violated my trust. As a medical professional he is unethical, as a business owner dishonorable. My request for refund was met with “out of the question.” After my charitably donated funds I can only hope you take my experience to heart and recognize this review as my effort in philanthropy for the sake of your face and by implication, mental health.
Doctor Weber’s office staff is pleasant and professional and meets the standard.
I met with Dr Weber for initial consultation where he was civilized and professional. Did I care for his bedside manner? No. Every shopkeeper will have worked out a demeanor which doesn’t include self sabotage or immediately deflect potential clientele. Deceptive, sad and true.
I was shown his? portfolio.
Here are the critical hiring considerations:
Skills
Corpus mentis
Professional ethics & accountability
The doctor’s real or fictitious attributes (e.g., “humanitarian”) are of no relevance. Do not put yourself in a harm’s way because you’re reading into the situation. Marketing machinery will rave up any pond into an ocean. Don't delude yourself as No.15 blade will in the same hands cut the same. Multiple board certification equals jack of all trades, master of none. Anything other than local anesthesia with sedation amounts to anathema.
The day of surgery came and went. As the swelling and bruising subsided the workmanship revealed itself. Eight months later things looked much worse.
I was left with:
minor lower lid but gross upper lid asymmetry
upper lid hollowing on one side
loose skin on other side
my almond eyes became ugly downturned short & round
wrinkles where there were none before
crepey unhealthy looking skin
massively crude & irregular scars
ptosis and collapsed orbital structure
Your blepharoplasty surgeon MUST be:
oculoplastic
member of ASOPRS
20+ years experience
not just highly skilled and meticulous but an aesthete
Dr Weber's surgical skill is rudimentary and substandard. He surely violated my trust. As a medical professional he is unethical, as a business owner dishonorable. My request for refund was met with “out of the question.” After my charitably donated funds I can only hope you take my experience to heart and recognize this review as my effort in philanthropy for the sake of your face and by implication, mental health.
Replies (21)

March 24, 2015
I am so sorry for your experience and your results. Your recommendations for choosing a surgeon for eyelid surgery are spot on.

March 25, 2015
Out of respect for our patients’ privacy, we do not address the specifics of any medical experience at our office in a public forum. With that said, we strive to take exceptional care of all of our patients. My practice is based on great outcomes and happy patients. Based on your feedback we did not live up to that goal. I do appreciate your candid feedback. It is in stark contrast to the overwhelming majority of public feedback about our patients' experience. However, I will give your review alot of thought and also sit down with my staff and figure out what changes we can make based on your review. In the meantime, we wish you the best.
Sincerely,
Stephen Weber MD, FACS
May 26, 2015
July 1, 2015
So give her the money back, Stphen Weber, only decent thing to do. My doctor actually did that. Would not admit the result of lower bleo was bad, but gave me the money back.
April 30, 2015
was he able to fix it?
May 3, 2015
If you were maimed, robbed and your intelligence insulted would you go back for more?
May 3, 2015
For blepharoplasty and complex reconstructive procedures the only oculoplastic surgeon in this entire region I would recommend is Dr. Fante.
May 3, 2015
dont need to be rude i was just asking to see if you asked him to fix it but it seems you are just a hard case no wonder
May 4, 2015
I'm sorry you misunderstood this statement of common sense to be directed toward you. Also, an exchange like this is already inappropriate as part of a review. Additionally, there is right, there is wrong, and there is wrong done to the other. The experience will linger.
May 4, 2015
is not about common sense is courtesy something you seem to lack I was asking a legitimate question no need to be rude about it theres ways to say things and ways not to say things if you dont want people asking then you shouldnt post in here that will be common sense
May 11, 2015
I don't think she meant to be rude. I think she was just expressing her frustrations with the physician. The message was taken in a way it was not intended.

July 1, 2015
May 7, 2015
The reply from your doctor is the as expected, standard reply. No doctor will ever admit error despite official suggestion by the medical fraternity that transparency works best. Their ego is way too big/ fragile for this
A refund should not be out of the question. If another Dr. Had to repair you, then initially you did not get what you payed for.
UPDATED FROM poweroutageinOR
10 months post
Lower lid bleph specifics
poweroutageinORMay 3, 2015
Ten months post surgery my lower lids look worse than before the procedure. Dark circles, depleted volume, incorrectly placed incisions and yes, permanently visible scarring. Once the facts landed, any further comment about this practice is probably redundant. Photos from today show beautiful upper lid reconstruction by Dr. Fante. Lower lid works are uniquely Dr. Weber's I decided to keep as a souvenir of my utter idiocy.
Replies (9)
May 4, 2015
The way you write is incredibly fascinating and unlike any other reviewer on this site. Stylistically it reminds me of 19th century literature (3rd person), or those with NPD tendencies. Sorry your first surgery didn't work out. You should consider lower revision, no one should suffer with unwanted results as a souvenir.
May 7, 2015
How were you able to fix the upper lids? I had a bad upper experience and I am afraid to touch the eyes again for fear of making another mess of things. Did you have another surgery on the upper lids?
May 8, 2015
Hi,
Yes, I had reconstructive surgery with Dr. Robert Fante in Denver. He is a maestro. There was a moment during the surgery he was not certain he could fix one of the lids- skin excision, crease lowering, and upper lid fat redistribution to fill the hollow, cantopexy, plus ptosis repair- all result of the intervention by Dr. Weber. Dr. Fante is the kind of oculoplastic reconstructive surgeon you want. If you are not in Denver area, please go to:
http://www.asoprs.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3504
to find a fellowship trained oculoplastic surgeon in your area. For your sake, do not consider anyone not on that list.
My sympathies, and the very best of luck. 'Tis a game of Russian roulette but ASOPRS is your best chance. Outside of their member directory, the rest, to a great extent, is a circus parade.
I will be reviewing Dr. Fante within a fortnight.
June 14, 2015
Thank you! I have been looking for a good doctor for this procedure, in my searches I did not even see about Dr. Fante until now, I will definitely check him out.
July 1, 2015
Didn't get a chance to review Dr. Fante yet but please know that this is a world class expert. Authoritative and unpretentious, tuned in, a meticulous aesthete. Eyes / lids is what he does with grace and ease. A bit like conducting a symphony. I don't believe there is a single peer in the region and he is probably among the handful of that caliber in the U.S.
May 20, 2015
I have had my eyelids "done" plus two face lifts. Recently had flap surgery to cover large area removed by MOHS laser. My experience with plastic surgeons is that they tell you how great they are , but none of them are very skilled. I think it's quite difficult to cut skin off a face, sew it back together and make it look good. My sister had very conservative facelift done that I could hardly see a difference. I just think any facial surgery is going to be a disappointment to the patient, although Demi Moore and Jennifer Lopez look amazing! Whoever and wherever their surgeons are practicing isn't anywhere near to what I have seen!
July 1, 2015
The images you see in print and film don't represent real life. Cindy Crawford bought like 10 issues of her first cover at a drugstore and the clerk asked her why she was buying so many and she replied: "that's me!" And he replied, "no, it's not, doesn't look anything like you." Two hours in hair and makeup, optics, lighting, 1000s of shots and Photoshop edits later you've got the images we unrealistically aspire to be.
UPDATED FROM poweroutageinOR
1 year post
Clarification
poweroutageinORJuly 5, 2015
To clarify historical sequence,
two photos are before surgery by Dr. Weber, upper and lower lids, the other two are post surgery.
Also, to clarify my motive,
I was not after altered appearance or beautification. I started considering upper lid surgery for functional reasons as my vision was impaired by heavy hooded lids. At the time I was forty six. I also thought, and so did others, that I looked chronically exhausted. This is where a bit of vanity kicked in and since dark under eye circles with prolapsed fat were always there, I though it made perfect sense to take care of both upper and lower lids at the same time.. I was quite explicit in articulating to Dr. Weber that what I wanted was excess skin excision of the upper lids, no fat taken out, natural contour of my eyes preserved and unaltered. I also stated that I wanted no fat taken out of the lower lids, just redistributed so that prolapse was less apparent. I believe this to be a reasonable request and given what I wanted, I had realistic expectations. I also wanted the natural symmetry preserved and fine, even incision lines.
I do not suffer from body dysmorphic disorder. In the hands of a skilled surgeon everything would have been fine.
two photos are before surgery by Dr. Weber, upper and lower lids, the other two are post surgery.
Also, to clarify my motive,
I was not after altered appearance or beautification. I started considering upper lid surgery for functional reasons as my vision was impaired by heavy hooded lids. At the time I was forty six. I also thought, and so did others, that I looked chronically exhausted. This is where a bit of vanity kicked in and since dark under eye circles with prolapsed fat were always there, I though it made perfect sense to take care of both upper and lower lids at the same time.. I was quite explicit in articulating to Dr. Weber that what I wanted was excess skin excision of the upper lids, no fat taken out, natural contour of my eyes preserved and unaltered. I also stated that I wanted no fat taken out of the lower lids, just redistributed so that prolapse was less apparent. I believe this to be a reasonable request and given what I wanted, I had realistic expectations. I also wanted the natural symmetry preserved and fine, even incision lines.
I do not suffer from body dysmorphic disorder. In the hands of a skilled surgeon everything would have been fine.
Replies (6)
July 6, 2015
Could you post in this sequence your revision photos too? Also, there is only one review (from ilovethebroncos) for Dr Fante. I'd like to get your opinion on using a laser instead of scalpel.
July 7, 2015
So sorry for your pain. I don't care what anyone says, until you live it you have no idea. Happy you found a talented surgeon to help you!
July 9, 2015
I TOTALLY understand your feelings and it ticks me off when people assume you suffer from body dysmorphic disorder or some kind of mental problem. Yeah, maybe mental anguish AFTER they ruin your eyelids. I was a completely happy, confident, positive person going into eyelid surgery and was also treated with disdain after complications arose. It's like Post Trauma is what it is. At the hands of those who take an oath to do no harm. You were within every reasonable expectation.
December 15, 2015
Yes, well said. Apparently this is the stock response by all plastic surgeons when you are not happy with their sub-par work, having given us a completely changed appearance for the worse. My surgeon never even gave an me inkling, forget about a risks and benefits chat, that such a thing was a possibility! I had upper and lowers done, asked for no front under-eye stitches, and woke up with under-eye stitches! How is that ok? I believe it is ok in our society because plastic surgeons learned that it is quite easy to marginalize a clientele that is mostly female, by saying we have mental issues, and take advantage of the idea that women who get cosmetic surgery certainly must be overly vain to have surgery in the first place. yet this is their business. disgracefull.
December 15, 2015
What I would like to know is why can't they be sued for their negligence? It's like they don't have to give a damn what they do to you but you are left broken! Forever.
I'm sorry to hear you are unhappy with your results. I hope you find support in our community.