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71-year-old Gets Incredible Facelift with Local Anesthesia from Dr. Raymond E. Lee FACEOLOGY in Calif.
71-year-old gets incredible facelift with local anesthesia from Dr. Raymond E. Lee .
As a 71-year-old scientist from the mid-west whose face seemed to drip off over the last five years, I was anxious for a rejuvenation.
An earlier attempt with a different surgeon pinpointed a problem with my ability to handle general anesthesia. Even though I am fairly active and work out regularly, at 5 foot 6 inches and 127 pounds, I have slightly low blood pressure. This is further compounded by my sensitivity to certain environmental compounds. The only drugs that I take regularly are a daily low-dose aspirin and a multivitamin. I am on no other prescriptions. So in order to have this elective surgery, I needed to find a surgeon capable of performing the operation under local anesthesia since under general anesthesia my blood pressure can become too low. After searching through RealSelf I located Dr. Raymond E. Lee of FACEOLOGYMD in Orange County, CA. Dr. Lee explained that he had done many similar procedures under his method of local anesthesia and had achieved excellent results. After a thorough Facetime evaluation, Dr. Lee agreed to take me on as a patient and we made plans together for my facelift procedure. As a result of this evaluation, Dr. Lee’s office sent me documents with a very reasonable fee structure and complete details on how I should prepare for the operation.
My wife and I traveled to Orange County and arranged to stay at a lovely Airbnb in Corona del Mar, approximately 2 miles from Dr. Lee’s offices. Dr. Lee’s staff, and especially Melody, offered great assistance to us as we made arrangements for travel and accommodations in the area. It became a combined surgery and vacation trip. We used Uber to get around. I arrived one day prior to my procedure and saw Dr. Lee for an in-person examination. At that visit, he outlined how he intended to proceed the next day. All of my questions and concerns were answered and I never felt that I was being rushed. I left feeling excited and looking forward to the surgery.
On the day of the operation we arrived at the office at 8:00 a.m. and I was immediately prepped and taken into the surgical suite across the hall from Dr. Lee's office. Almost as soon as I was in the room, I was sedated with such skill and efficiency that I honestly cannot recount anything until post-op. It seemed like one minute I was awake settling onto the table, and the next I was in post-op. In actuality the procedure took approximately 90 minutes. I experienced no pain, discomfort, or anxiety. After the operation, I had some wrapping around my face under a compression bandage. I was instructed to take my pain medication as needed, to ice my face, to significantly reduce my activity, and to return the following day.
On the first day post-op, I returned to the office, and my wrapping bandages were removed. I was instructed to continue wearing the compression wrap. There was very little bruising, and my wife was totally amazed at my new face which already looked beautiful. Both of us remarked that the droopy, tired look I had a mere two days earlier was gone. According to her, I looked 25 years younger! Dr. Lee said that he was pleased with the result and that we should continue with the pain medication as needed. I was instructed to limit my activity and to return again the following day. It was on this second day post-op that I stopped needing to take my pain medication and felt virtually no discomfort. At this time, I was given slightly more leeway in my mobility and activity but bending and lifting were still prohibited. I was again instructed to return again the following day.
On the second day post-op, I returned once again and Dr. Lee felt that it was time to remove the drains that had been in place. This was a simple, painless procedure. At this point, I had been experiencing almost no pain or discomfort. In fact, until I looked in the mirror and saw the stunning improvement, I sometimes forgot that I had undergone the procedure at all. I was able to wash my hair and take a shower. On that day my wife and I actually walked about 8 blocks to the shore and enjoyed the beach. I was feeling great, and looked good enough that I was comfortable going out in public. I had no bandages, and the bruising was so minor that it was not noticeable. Dr. Lee's stitches were so incredible! The stitches were so tiny that they were actually hard to see. At this point, my wife and I enjoyed vacationing in the area including a visit to Balboa Island and a whale watching expedition. I was instructed to return one week after the operation for a final exam and suture removal.
On day seven post-op, the sutures were removed and I was given careful instructions on how to care for the site and enjoy my new face. I was cautioned to limit my lifting, bending, and straining for another few weeks, but was free to resume the rest of my usual activities. An appointment was made for a FaceTime evaluation 30 days after the surgery.
I am now roughly 5 weeks post-op and have resumed all of my normal activities. My bruising is gone and my face looks better each day. Now I both look and feel 25 years younger than my chronological age. And my wife says I am drop-dead gorgeous! I am looking forward to returning to a research position.
I was extremely fortunate that I found Dr. Lee and that he was willing to accept me as his patient. I also credit RealSelf for posting information regarding his procedures and former patients. He performed this amazing operation so successfully on me without general anesthesia. In my particular circumstances, I could not have had this done without Dr. Lee’s carefully researched and proven methods. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Raymond E. Lee and his staff at FACEOLOGYMD for giving me back my face.
As a 71-year-old scientist from the mid-west whose face seemed to drip off over the last five years, I was anxious for a rejuvenation.
An earlier attempt with a different surgeon pinpointed a problem with my ability to handle general anesthesia. Even though I am fairly active and work out regularly, at 5 foot 6 inches and 127 pounds, I have slightly low blood pressure. This is further compounded by my sensitivity to certain environmental compounds. The only drugs that I take regularly are a daily low-dose aspirin and a multivitamin. I am on no other prescriptions. So in order to have this elective surgery, I needed to find a surgeon capable of performing the operation under local anesthesia since under general anesthesia my blood pressure can become too low. After searching through RealSelf I located Dr. Raymond E. Lee of FACEOLOGYMD in Orange County, CA. Dr. Lee explained that he had done many similar procedures under his method of local anesthesia and had achieved excellent results. After a thorough Facetime evaluation, Dr. Lee agreed to take me on as a patient and we made plans together for my facelift procedure. As a result of this evaluation, Dr. Lee’s office sent me documents with a very reasonable fee structure and complete details on how I should prepare for the operation.
My wife and I traveled to Orange County and arranged to stay at a lovely Airbnb in Corona del Mar, approximately 2 miles from Dr. Lee’s offices. Dr. Lee’s staff, and especially Melody, offered great assistance to us as we made arrangements for travel and accommodations in the area. It became a combined surgery and vacation trip. We used Uber to get around. I arrived one day prior to my procedure and saw Dr. Lee for an in-person examination. At that visit, he outlined how he intended to proceed the next day. All of my questions and concerns were answered and I never felt that I was being rushed. I left feeling excited and looking forward to the surgery.
On the day of the operation we arrived at the office at 8:00 a.m. and I was immediately prepped and taken into the surgical suite across the hall from Dr. Lee's office. Almost as soon as I was in the room, I was sedated with such skill and efficiency that I honestly cannot recount anything until post-op. It seemed like one minute I was awake settling onto the table, and the next I was in post-op. In actuality the procedure took approximately 90 minutes. I experienced no pain, discomfort, or anxiety. After the operation, I had some wrapping around my face under a compression bandage. I was instructed to take my pain medication as needed, to ice my face, to significantly reduce my activity, and to return the following day.
On the first day post-op, I returned to the office, and my wrapping bandages were removed. I was instructed to continue wearing the compression wrap. There was very little bruising, and my wife was totally amazed at my new face which already looked beautiful. Both of us remarked that the droopy, tired look I had a mere two days earlier was gone. According to her, I looked 25 years younger! Dr. Lee said that he was pleased with the result and that we should continue with the pain medication as needed. I was instructed to limit my activity and to return again the following day. It was on this second day post-op that I stopped needing to take my pain medication and felt virtually no discomfort. At this time, I was given slightly more leeway in my mobility and activity but bending and lifting were still prohibited. I was again instructed to return again the following day.
On the second day post-op, I returned once again and Dr. Lee felt that it was time to remove the drains that had been in place. This was a simple, painless procedure. At this point, I had been experiencing almost no pain or discomfort. In fact, until I looked in the mirror and saw the stunning improvement, I sometimes forgot that I had undergone the procedure at all. I was able to wash my hair and take a shower. On that day my wife and I actually walked about 8 blocks to the shore and enjoyed the beach. I was feeling great, and looked good enough that I was comfortable going out in public. I had no bandages, and the bruising was so minor that it was not noticeable. Dr. Lee's stitches were so incredible! The stitches were so tiny that they were actually hard to see. At this point, my wife and I enjoyed vacationing in the area including a visit to Balboa Island and a whale watching expedition. I was instructed to return one week after the operation for a final exam and suture removal.
On day seven post-op, the sutures were removed and I was given careful instructions on how to care for the site and enjoy my new face. I was cautioned to limit my lifting, bending, and straining for another few weeks, but was free to resume the rest of my usual activities. An appointment was made for a FaceTime evaluation 30 days after the surgery.
I am now roughly 5 weeks post-op and have resumed all of my normal activities. My bruising is gone and my face looks better each day. Now I both look and feel 25 years younger than my chronological age. And my wife says I am drop-dead gorgeous! I am looking forward to returning to a research position.
I was extremely fortunate that I found Dr. Lee and that he was willing to accept me as his patient. I also credit RealSelf for posting information regarding his procedures and former patients. He performed this amazing operation so successfully on me without general anesthesia. In my particular circumstances, I could not have had this done without Dr. Lee’s carefully researched and proven methods. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Raymond E. Lee and his staff at FACEOLOGYMD for giving me back my face.
Provider Review
Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
1401 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach, California