Get the real deal on beauty treatments—real doctors, real reviews, and real photos with real results.Here's how we earn your trust.

See All Reviews
See All Reviews
POSTED UNDER SMAS Facelift REVIEWS

Expected a Full Lift and Doctor Did Mini - Oklahoma City, OK

ORIGINAL POST

Within two weeks of my facelift the swelling...

NHavenJanuary 8, 2011
$14,000

Within two weeks of my facelift the swelling started reducing and the original characteristics returned. By three months post-op the pre-post photos are the same. I had an excellent surgeon who says this seldom happens. Could it have been the absorbent sutures he used? I feel like as the sutures were absorbed the swelling which held the lift in place resolved and the original neck/jaw/jowls returned to their original position. Should the sutures have been non-absorbent?

I am 57 years old, 112 lbs, 5'3", nothing unusual. Now, at three months my surgeon agreed there is no difference from pre-surgery in my neck and jaw but says he doesn't know why I had a poor outcome. I don't know how unusual this is. I still have numbness and feel depressed,but I will redo the surgery with a less conservative approach.

Mine was a full facelift-SMAS with a reputable surgeon. I don't think he made any errors, just the outcome was disappointing.

Updated on 9 Jan 2011:
Did Dr Kamran Khoobehi say I should pay the surgeon to redo my face as well as the anesthesia and hospital fees? I understand repaying the surgical fees, but pay the doctor again to redo his work? My skin is elastic. I'm a non-smoker. Should he try a different approach or use non-absorbable sutures?

NHaven's provider

NHaven ratings

Overall rating
Doctor's bedside manner
Answered my questions
After care follow-up
Time spent with me
Phone or email responsiveness
Staff professionalism & courtesy
Payment process
Wait times

SMAS did not work although the surgeon is highly rated and I don't doubt his skill. I think the suture type may be to blame.

Replies (1)

User Avatar
Sharon at RealSelf
January 10, 2011

I'm so sorry to hear about your bad facelift results. :( It seems strange that it would fail so quickly. Did your doctor have any explanation for this?

UPDATED FROM NHaven

I am redoing the face lift in 2 days. My plastic...

NHavenJanuary 22, 2011
I am redoing the face lift in 2 days. My plastic surgeon said this time he will undermine the lower face and neck. It's true. When we are under anesthesia we don't know what they are doing. I thought he was doing this undermining with the original lift.....

Replies (4)

NHaven
February 10, 2011
My surgeon said he didn't know why it failed, but I had a "redo" (can't even call it a revision!) this time undermining the neck and jawline which is what I thought he was doing the first time. It cost another $2000 on top of the original $14000 but I'm 2 weeks post op and it feels much better, more secure. He said he was doing a full face lift the first time but I think he must have done a mini lift instead. I think that was cruel. Sadly he cut my eye muscle (levator) when redoing one of my eyelids. And, he and his office staff are treating me very "cool" instead of the original "friendliness".
2trusting
March 11, 2012
NHaven, This absolutely scares me to death. All that pain and recovery, yet in other posts about LSL you say you had great faith in your surgeon. Other times it seems like you say you were happy, but it goes away. I'm starting to get confused. Could you kinda clear that up for me?
NHaven
March 11, 2012
I had tremendous faith in my surgeon. We sat and talked about God and spiritual life and he played Christian music in the office. We laughed and clicked immediately. I never even pinned him down about what he was going to do because I soooo trusted him! I just said I hated my waddle neck and jowls. He said he thought my eyes were puffy and baggy. He would treat both. Okay, I said, you are the artist. Before surgery we prayed together and he reminded God that my surgery was "elective". My heart lurched. But, I trusted my surgeon. Afterwards he said he could "tweak" any problem areas, not to worry about asymmetry and jowls but give it time. I trusted my surgeon. One brow fell. One eyelid dropped. My neck was horribly painful since he didn't tighten the muscle only pulled the skin. But I trusted my surgeon. 3 1/2 months later he "revised" my face/neck lift. No prayer this time. I prayed silently that he would do a better job. He cut my eye muscle and I had to go to a specialist. He tightened my neck so I was choking for months. Now I'm going for a second eye surgery with a specialist. My neck is banded and my waddle is replaced with a band of fiber where he sewed the neck muscle. The "happiness" I felt was fleeting. Partially because I truly "trusted my surgeon" and partially because the swelling gives the illusion of a successful tuck. We post these comments too soon after our surgeries. It's been over a year for me now and finally, through RealSelf, I have learned the language and the questions to ask. I believe my doctor gave my a LSL under another name. He scares me. He threatened to sue me if I didn't remove his name from RealSelf. It's been an adventure, for sure! Do I look "better" "younger" after this face lift? Maybe. Not like TV. Not like celebrities. The waddle was replaced by banding. The jowls replaced by bumps. My lids are asymmetrical but less puffy. It's all relative. I've learned that as I stretch back out and look more like my old self, the happier I am with the old look! Best wishes to you. Thanks for asking.
User Avatar
Sharon at RealSelf
February 11, 2011

Hmm, that's really weird behaviour from the doc, but I'm glad to hear the results are looking better.

UPDATED FROM NHaven

My ps said he was going to do extensive neck...

NHavenFebruary 17, 2011
My ps said he was going to do extensive neck "work" but I ended up with a mini lift that failed as the swelling resolved. Jowls and neck were as pre-lift except where he pulled up under my chin. It was horrible and very uncomfortable recovery.

By the end of month 4 I was so miserable I had a "redo". This time he properly undermined my neck and jaw and the recovery has been much easier and less painful because the tissue was properly supported. The incision is only 1 inch more along the hairline behind my ear.

I didn't know what question to ask the first time. I was told he did a face lift every week for years but now realize he has done very few full lifts. How much of the SMAS is dissected and anchored is the issue to focus on when you question the surgeon.

Replies (3)

Perth9926
February 27, 2011
Sometimes if you get severe swelling for a few weeks, the skin gets stretched back to its original size, and then when the swelling recedes it all sags again and you are back where you started from.
That's a possibility.
NHaven
February 28, 2011
Actually, my facial swelling wasn't much the first lift. Now, I'm 5 weeks post op from the redo and my submandibular glands are descending again, but not as bad as the first time. This time he took a little fat off my jaw line so, overall, the outcome seems a little better. Frankly, I'm terrified after all of this my neck and jaw won't look any better. I try not too look because there are always ups and downs as the swelling decreases. I go for eye surgery with an eye surgeon in 2 weeks to repair the levator muscle he cut during the redo of my eye. What good is PS board certification anyway?
User Avatar
notsogood
November 20, 2011
NHaven, Wow, I'm so sorry to hear about your terrible experience. But I have to ask..why did you give the procedure a a "thumbs up" rating? Sounds like it didn't go well at all.
See More SMAS Facelift Reviews
See All Reviews