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POSTED UNDER Lifestyle Lift REVIEWS

Lifestyle Letdown (W/neck Procedure)

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I too had a Lifestyle Lift with neck procedure in...

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Ivy1949February 10, 2010
$5,600

I too had a Lifestyle Lift with neck procedure in November '09 - 12 weeks ago and still healing.

The results were far less than what I expected. But what was worse was the pain I endured the first night after the procedure and the fact that the 24 Hour Emergency Line was not manned --- no one to talk to to get additional pain meds! The next day when I removed the bandages my neck looked as if someone had tried to strangle me with a wire - more painful than the incisions!

I sent a registered letter to the LSL Headquarters -they claimed they never received it until I told them the name of the person who signed for it. Then low and behold they located it - Some management! They've shown absolutely NO CONCERN for the pain and suffering I went through and further have not addressed their negligence vis-a-vis the 24 hour emergency line. So much for their "The SAFETY of our patients is our No. 1 priority" not to mention that their "caring attitude doesn't end when your procedure does" is their greatest lie!

The LSL is nothing but a Cut and Run Operation. The Hippocratic Oath of Do No Harm is an unknown for their Medical Director, Dr. R. James Koch. I "trusted in the Lifestyle Lift Team" as their advertising hype proports and was obviously duped. They should be sued out of existence. I plan to contact Jeffrey Wahl in Cleveland to join the Class Action Suit. Taking action at least makes one feel less of a victim of their outrageous dishonesty aqnd callousness.

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Replies (38)

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gdiaz
February 10, 2010
Hi Ivy. I hope that you are doing well. Pain is very relative to patients. I have had patients that after a facelift they are ready to go out for the night and others that are in agony. I assure you that many other surgeons will agree that the level of pain that is felt after surgery directly correlates to the personal paint tolerance that you are born with. I believe that you had some pain after surgery. Also all surgeons would agree that after the surgery is done and you are back home there is a limited amount of pain medication that can be given orally to minimize pain without monitoring. I am sure that you had pain medication, and I think that you were frustrated that you could not get maybe something stronger that very same night. That is understandable also and you are correct at feeling some anger. The pictures that you show online were taken 1-2 days after surgery because I can see the marker on your neck. I see some swelling that is expected no jowls, and no excess skin. I think that a before and after picture will place more objective visualization on your results.
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Ivy1949
February 11, 2010
Dear Dr. Diaz, I assure you I have a high tolerance for pain; what I do not have is a high tolerance for negligence, i.e., a 24 hour emergency telephone line that was not manned. None of my messages were ever responded to by the "caring team at LSL." I have gone through 14 other surgeries - brain, abdominal, oral, just to name a few - and with proper pain medication had no problem with the first 24 hours after the procedure. What I failed to put in my comments was the fact the bandages that had been applied by a surgical technician [whom I suspect had very little training - perhaps at a meat packing plant?] were applied far too tightly and with no professional oversight. Further my comments about its extreme tightness quickly were dismissed with a chortle! My letter to the Patient Relations Dept. of the LSL Headquarters a.k.a. Scientific Image Center Management, Inc. (I'm sure you're familiar with the entity) described in detail the pain and anguish I felt as well as the photos of my neck and ears 24 hours after surgery and 8 hours after the bandages were removed. The photo you see on the internet does not do it justice - the red gash marks on my neck were far more pronounced on the actual photo. The issue here, Dr. Diaz, is not the "results" but the NEGLIGENCE of LSL for not having a 24 hour a day telephone emergency line manned as the post operative instructions listed. Just imagine if our 911 call was not answered or asked us to leave a voice mail message! Further the poor training and medical oversight of a technician who clearly had no understanding of the pressure needed vis-a-vis the application of the post operative gauze bandages further underscores the fact that LSL in no way lives up to its claim that, "We take very seriously your safety and comfort." LSL's Standard of Care is grossly lacking! My woman's intuition is telling me you are somehow connected to LSL and pose on the website in an attempt to discredit or diminish a patient's claim against a company that clearly places profit far above caring for its customers. Sincerely, Ivy
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Ivy1949
February 12, 2010
Shame on you, Dr. Diaz. It only took a few clicks of the mouse to find that you are indeed a LSL Doc at the Huntersville, NC facility. Perhaps you suffer from a LSL employee Stockholm Syndrome?
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Bits
February 20, 2010
Doc, What would your answer be to someone who has endured pain for over 3 years? What could cause this? I have a very HIGH threshold of pain& I couldn't eat anything or open my mouth for days. I drank soup from a straw. I delivered twins by C-Section & I can say this was as painful. I had a lengthy TMJ surgery that didn't compare to this surgery& it was a small incision,as LSL assured me their incisions would be.Please speculate on this question. Behind my ears, the bones hurt horribly, where my ear was pulled down& sewed to my face hurts badly, weather changes makes it worse.The constant tightness in the lobes and toward the neck that make me feel I have something choking me are frigtening. The numbness in my ears, lobes and outer face never go away. What went wrong? What was done to me? There are no surgical reports what he did.
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clongowesfaceman
February 10, 2010
This case highlights what many patients feel about Lifestyle Lift: oversold and under-delivered. Many patients feel anxiety, some degree of psychological stress, and even a little discomfort after a Facelift procedure. The vast majority of independent Plastic Surgeons and Facial Plastic Surgeons provide for these situations by being accessible. The complaints voiced here are not dissimilar to what other patients have reported: there was either no-one to talk to or someone to talk to, but no-one who would listen. If either a cosmetic surgery company or surgeon are not accessible within a phone call the first 48 hours after a procedure, they just aren't doing their job. Once again, my recommendations to prospective patients: go with reliable word of mouth in your town and don't believe the hype associated with Lifestyle Lift. There is nothing revolutionary about it, it does not offer less down time, and there are legions of disatisfied patients.
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Ivy1949
February 11, 2010
Dear Dr. Prendiville, Thank you for your comments. It is clear that your understand my concerns. I truly wish I had found this website before i went through my procedure. It would have been worth the additional money to go to a respected plastic surgeon locally. I fully intend to loadly broadcast my experience with LSL so that other women do not believe and end up victims of the LSL advertising and hype. Again thank you. Ivy
nattyann
September 10, 2010
Dr. P -Thanks for offering up great advice, I was looking for reviews and figured it seemed to good to be true. I tried doing accent lazer for sagging skin around my neck and had no results after spending $2,500. I now a have an appt to see a plastic surgeon to see about surgery. Any advice on how to seek out the best plastic surgeon? What kinds of questions to ask when interviewing surgeons? How much down time is associated w/ a face lift just around the neck? I also appreciate others that posted their disappointment and bad results.
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Bits
February 12, 2010
Dr P, You are the BEST! All we ever got were excuses. Promises made, never delivered. As we complain more, they change what is said in their website, brochures, etc. I know some women get great results, but the ones that do not, shouldn't be treated as we were! They should follow up on us& really act like they care & try to help us. That's all we ever wanted to begin with. But we are just called 'disgruntled patients' wanting to look 20 yrs younger, they say. We weren't that stupid even when that was advertized. Geez, my Dr's idea of a revision was to sew my right earlobe down& to my face to make it look even with the left one he did. Why can't they just admit that not all Dr's are good there& work with us? I know they have some really good Dr's there. Kent just blows off every complaint like we are insignificant& that hurts. Thanks for being so honest on our behalf.
Trishaasif
February 15, 2010
HONEST, how in the world can he say he's had people go out the evening of the surgery. I am 56 y.o.a. had 3 major procedures in the past 12 yrs. All fantastic results, and no way, could I go out the evening of the surgery. First of all your eyes are still closed for at least 2 days. The bandages don't even come off for at least 48 hrs. It's just totally rediculous to suggest such a thing. Right there, all credibility lost.
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Bits
February 15, 2010
Three plus years later, it still hurts to have the phone against my ears... I can't imagine upper lid surgery! But, that's what they advertized when I had the procedure done.
Ada
February 16, 2010
I think Dr (and I use that term loosely)Gustavo must be a life style lift dr they have paid to post such crap!! I couldn't go out for about 2 weeks because of the swelling, brusing, dried blood still in my hair, and the SMELL of the dried blood because I was told to not to wash my hair until I went back and got the stiches out!! GO OUT THE SAME NIGHT, I DON'T THINK SO!!! AND, I too still have pain in my ears and nerve damage to my eyelids and I had the surgery in Sept, 2008. I am happy for anyone that was brave enough to go on to life style lifts and did well, more power to you - but I would venture to bet you are one in a million!!
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gdiaz
February 17, 2010
Hi Ada. I do not know what I have done to deserve the treatment that you just gave me. I am a real Double Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon. I have practiced for years. You can see my website www.drgusdiaz.com. I have nothing to hide like many others here. It is too strange to me that somebody told you not to wash for a week after surgery, which goes against logical wound cleaning. I think that you are mad for other reasons and I think that taking it out on me is not a very dignifying way for you to do it. Everything I post here is voluntary and I am free to do it. Notice that I do not only give advice on LifeStyle Lift, I also do it on other subjects of Facial Plastic Surgery. Just follow all my posts.
Eureka
November 5, 2010
I had lifestyle lift also and am very disappointed and still after over a year I'm still hurting and dealing with an absess that won't go away. I'm tired of being sick. I was also told not to wash my hair. That is not a lie. O believe her not you. Lifestyle sift isa fraud as I had a lifrt when I was 48 by a conventional Dr. Wish I hadn't listened to your stinkin hype on TV and went back to him.
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