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POSTED UNDER Facial Fat Transfer REVIEWS

Fat Grafting Nightmare -Sarasota, FL

ORIGINAL POST

My fat grafting experience became a nightmare when...

SashaB100
$6,250
My fat grafting experience became a nightmare when the doctor (Dr. Holcolm) placed fat in areas that we never discussed and I did not approve. I chose Dr. Holcolm for fat grafting based on the praise I heard from one of his nurses. I was scheduled to have fat grafted to my cheeks, temples and the tail of my eyebrows. On the day of surgery, twice the nurse asked what procedure I was having and I replied “I am having fat grafted to my cheeks, temples, and the tail of my eye brows". The doctor put pen markings on these areas. He then made small circles in the area where my dimples are. I told him I did not want fat grafted in those areas and he marked them out. I awoke from surgery to find that he had grafted a large amount of fat in the marionette line on the right side of my face; he also put fat about the size of a nickel on the lower outer edges of my mouth. The right side of my face looks terrible. It is so bad that it has changed the appearance of my smile. It actually looks like fat seeped under the marionette line in two areas. And then there are the fat balls next to my mouth. I called after the swelling went down (2 weeks post op) as I was extremely upset about the right side of my face. Dr. Holcolm had me come to his office. Instead of examining my face, he looked at the before and after photos (this is all he looked at). Yes, my face is fuller, but the right side looks awful. Dr. Holcolm told me to wait 3 months until things had settled. When I went back at three months, he told me to wait a year. It looks so bad, I cry every time I look at the right side of my face. I hate looking at myself in the mirror. I cannot even believe he put fat where we did not discuss. In addition, from our previous conversations, I was under the impression that the fat would be taken from my upper inner thigh (as I have a fat pad there even though I am quite thin). Instead he took fat from my inner middle thighs and he left a huge gouge in my right middle thigh. I am now trying to figure out how to remove the fat from the outer edges of my mouth and my over-filled marionette line area on the right side of my face (IPL, micro lipo), ultrasound). I also need to have more fat grafted to my right cheek as it is not as full as the left side. The depression plus the time, cost, and pain of more surgery is truly a nightmare for me.

SashaB100's provider

J. David Holcomb, MD

J. David Holcomb, MD

Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon

SashaB100 rating for Dr. David Holcomb:

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Doctor's bedside manner
Answered my questions
After care follow-up
Time spent with me
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Replies (12)

January 6, 2014
I'm so sorry to hear about your bad experience with fat transfer. I too had a really bad experience with under eye fat transfer with Dr. Litner, who was also terrible at the procedure and a jerk about it. I haven't had any luck repairing mine because the fat has hardened in places so it's left large lumps. I have tried restylene injections to help balance out the unevenness of my eyes, which has helped a bit. I look a little leah freakish. You may want to consider this for evening out your cheeks rather than getting more fat transfer.I wish you luck and I feel your pain:(
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January 6, 2014
Thank you for sharing your story and i wish u all the best! I pray u find a ps to correct ur areas of concern!
April 9, 2014
Thank you for sharing your story.
May 11, 2014
I looked him up, he does a procedure called the "Acculift". Could he use that to remove your areas of concern?
June 17, 2014
Thanks for your suggestion, but there is no way I would ever let Dr. Holcolm do anything to me again. He did a terrible job. He is the worst surgeon I have ever experienced.
August 12, 2014
Sorry Sasha to hear that. Did you find anyone else to remove the fat grafting you had??
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September 8, 2014
Have you thought about a malpractice suit? If he did perform procedures that were unapproved, then he has violated the terms of your contract with him. I am sorry this has happened to you, I advise consulting with a lawyer.
January 2, 2015
I am so sorry for your nightmare. I can well understand how depressed this has made you feel. Since I have been searching for the "right" PS in Sarasota to do a fat transplant, I was told at one consultation, that if there were any fat lumps that were not wanted, after period of time, they could be dissolved with a steroid injection. Has Dr Holocomb ever spoke to you about this? Glad you posted this, as I definitely will steer clear of this Dr. Keep us updated please, and good luck.