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POSTED UNDER Facial Fat Transfer REVIEWS

Not Recommended for Facial Fat Transfer

ORIGINAL POST

Not Recommended for Facial Fat Transfer

Rodnie
$4,000
Facial fat transfer- not Dr Rodriguez expertise as I was told. The only reason I’m rating a 2 stars instead of one is because there is no lumps or surface abnormalities as could happen if the fat is not sterilized or processed correctly. The pictures of his work he presents, the changes are subtle and enhancing , the people don’t look much different but in my case my face has TOO MUCH VOLUME on one side and the appearance of an EYE BAG on the otherside because he or his assistant overfilled the eye area and not the cheek area. After surgery everyone that sees my face thinks I gained weight when really I’m thinner because of liposuction to the lower face and body . My complaint at consultation was too much volume at the bottom of my cheek and not enough on top and looking aged. We agreed to lipo of the neck area and lower face and fat transfer in the check area , he never said he would WIDEN my face on top so the bottom would look smaller he agreed to lipo the bottom to make it smaller but the procedure was done differently. He didn’t consider my short height and that my face had enough volume. My jowls are almost gone but the fat transfer on top my face is round instead of oval. One if my temples has too much fat. The mask they put in me I think was part of the problem , it compresses the cheek area as well as the liposuctioned area- 2 different procedures being treated the same! He sounds like an expert but the work shows he is not. The liposuction was good but the fat transfer was not manipulated as an esthetic to enhance. He Didn’t considered my lifestyle, height, and he couldn’t predict the fat transfer survival so he overfilled. Pointed out during my consultation that my face was not as symmetrical but after surgery told me he injected the same amount on both sides! Why if there was already an assymetry issue? So during the consultation I was told the swelling would go down . Now at the end of June it has been a year and my pictures show similar volume to my pictures from early after the procedure.

Rodnie's provider

Ricardo L. Rodriguez, MD

Ricardo L. Rodriguez, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.6 | 199 Reviews
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Replies (9)

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July 7, 2018
I'm so sorry to read this. Thank you for your review to warn others. Is it possible to remove the overfilled fat with micro liposuction? I've heard and read dilute steroid injection and ultherapy could reduce the volume of fat graft. I'm thinking of getting fat transfer because Imyad buccal fat removal many years ago and I regretted it. It makes my face looks so hollow. How much of the fat survive in your face? Is it more than 50% ? Because doctors alway say they'll overfill in anticipation that some of the fat won't survive.
November 18, 2018
Hello , sorry my reply is late. I think it all survived because he does process the fat well-I don't have issues with bumps , necrosis, or any surface issues. But judging by my swelling pictures the volume is not much different from today which is more thn a year later. The volume and asymmetry is my issue. I'm considering buccal fat removal to create a more thin appearance . How cone you don't like the buccal fat removal?
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November 23, 2018
Thanks for your reply. Yes volume and asymmetry are major problems with fat transfer especially under the eye area. I wasn't happy with my buccal fat removal because I did it when I was 21 and now I'm in my late 30's my cheeks look so hollow and droopy. It really ages me and makes my face look harsh instead of soft and feminine. I think you should wait on buccal fat removal if you're still in your 20's but if you had overfilled fat transfer and your face looks fat I think buccal fat removal will help to balance your face to make it less fat. Good luck!
July 12, 2020
Hi and thanks for sharing. I too had full face fat transfer for 2 reasons. My face (sides) had been burned by fraxel and needed filler mainly on one side. Also one side of my face is much less full and I'd hoped for more symmetry; unfortunately it's obviously worse now as he put more fat into the already fuller side! One cheek is much fuller than the other and he's going to remove some of that fat, but I'm very worried of potential problems. I have many areas where the fat has sunken; it's very obvious I've had something done bc I have small boxes running in both directions of my face. Another dr and friend pointed out that I now have more fat over my upper eye lids. My forehead now has so many veins and depressed skin. The 3rd area (around my chin and lips) looks the same; very disappointing as I also had scaring from the fraxel there. Def not worth the money. Before my surgery, his nurse (?) suggested lipo on my flanks and stomach as it'd be half price. Who could resistant! Ican't begin to say how terrible it looks! It's like he took some fat here then skipped to there; extremely uneven! I'd previously had a lower tummy tuck and it looked nice and flat. Now i hope he can put the fat back so it's smooth again. As for my upper stomach, he said I didn't have enough fat and I needed a tummy tuck instead. However, that didn't stop him from charging me for both areas! I'm seeing him in a few weeks to correct my face. He's actually a very nice man and appears to want his patients to be happy. I'll post pics after the re-do.
March 31, 2020
Sorry for all that you went through. Did he fix anything with revisions?
October 1, 2020
No, bc after discussing my problem, he said he couldn't add more fat into the more flat side of my face. He sounded so indifferent it scared me and I actually left w/o having anything done. It was stupid to leave on my part and I totally regret it but when your dr sounds ambivalent and it's your face, it's really scary! I should've at least had my overfilled cheek corrected and the 3rd area around my mouth done which I paid for! I hope to go back soon but they're booked for the next three mos. I'm also very worried about the way my skin looks now; so uneven it looks like it has cellulite! The fat he put along my jaw has moved down onto my neck in several areas so I no longer have a defined jaw line. I can actually see circles under my jaw and on my neck. The worst part is the way he puts fat under your eyes to supposedly give a youthful look; it makes you look 10 years older! I'd never recommend this procedure to anyone. I just hope he can correct some of my issues. The lipo was also terrible. He said I didn't h e enough fat on my stomach so he removed some in an area that was fine and didn't need it. Now that area needs fat transferred!!! I think that doing too many procedures at one time is just too much for dr's; they're probably tired and the procedure gets compromised.
May 25, 2021
Can you please post pics or update? I have a date scheduled for sept.
August 6, 2021
I'm seeing him in August an I'll hopefully have good pics to post.
December 7, 2023
Hi! How did your follow up go? Thanks for sharing, I had awful fat loss from radiofrequency and now trying to find the best fat transfer option.