Don't let this happen to you! 8 ½ Wks. Mid-Face/Neck Laser Lower Eyelift - Springfield, MO

I’ve tried to keep myself busy getting the house ready to put on the market and starting my business back up and trying not to deal with PS issues as I needed a break and my hair has been falling out. I don’t know if it’s because of the emotional stress or the physical stress that the PS put my body thru. Besides the receding hairline shown in the photo, I have a couple small bald spots and there’s an overall thinning going on too.
Going back to work has aggravated the neck problems. The muscle spasms have flared up again, the nerve pain in my neck and shoulder has continued, and now I have nerve issues in my lower legs and feet. I had an x-ray and I have a dislocated vertebrae in my neck. I had nerve conduction tests done and I am finally getting an MRI on Monday to access the extent of the damage.
OMG my face! It’s getting so much worse as the swelling subsides. In the photo where I’m smiling, the front part of my cheek looks like an apostrophe with a crater behind it, where did that deep angular dimple come from? Then there’s the new deep lines under my eyes that extend back to my hairline, and a new horizontal line under my nose that extends from one nasolabial fold to the other. Even my smile has been effected, that’s not how I normally smile, and there is a new horizontal ridge extending out from the corner of my mouth. If someone showed me this photo, I probably would have asked, Who is that?
In two photos, I pressed a finger to my face and you can see the indentation that shows I still have a lot for swelling at this late date. My God, if this isn’t horrendous enough, what am I going to look like when the rest of the swelling goes away??? I also included a close up to show how badly damaged my skin is, and from what I have read this will continue to worsen! I don’t understand where all those deep line under my eyes came from. And what the hell is happening with my neck! I went to take a photo of my neck with my ipad, and my allergies and asthma were acting up so I sniffed and was shocked when I saw this image of myself on the ipad. It looks like I had a tracheotomy and all the skin being pulled into it. Why on earth is that happening??? And where did all the loose skin come from??? The skin on my face seems to be stretching &/or loosening too. In the second neck photo I’m sitting back in a chair… I didn’t realize, until this photo, that it looked like I could store my lunch in the pocket in my neck! Yea, I’m having another meltdown and now the rest of my hair will probably fall out.
From the Op Report I’ve just learned that the PS used the “Smartlipo Laser”on my face. This is for use on the jawline and neck, not the face! And at a setting of 50-53 degrees Celsius which is too high according to the mfr. Was this disclosed or discussed pre-surgery? HELL NO! In consultation he talked about using a laser a little bit on my neck only, and there was NEVER any mention whatsoever of the “Smartlipo Laser” or liposuction. Interestingly, on his websites he changed the mfr’s. name of the equipment from “Smartlipo Laser” to “SmartLaser Lift”. He’s even got a second website SmartLaserLift.com with no mention of liposuction whatsoever. Every other PS’s website that I’ve seen that does laser lipo uses the mfr’s. name for the equipment which include laser and lipo in the name.
The Thermal damage to my skin is permanent and it appears other damage to my face maybe too!!! On RealSelf someone ask: BUCCCAL FAT PAD REMOVAL VS. LASER LIPOSUCTION ON YOUR FACE? Responses:
---Laser lipo of your face is downright crazy and irresponsible. It’s a set up for permanent irregularities, potential areas of fibrosis and additional things that you will not like. Charles Virden Reno Plastic Surgeon
---Liposuction is no longer done on the face. Liposuction is confined to the jawline and neck, and works best in younger patients whose skin might shrink better than older patients. When you liposuction too close to the skin, you will see grooves and ridges that are permanent and impossible to eliminate. Richard P. Rand Seattle Plastic Surgeon
---liposuction of the cheeks in not performed except in rare cases. The facial nerve is at risk. (I have a droopy lip) Scott Haupt Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon
---keep lipo to chin and neck line - chance of disfigurement, which can be permanent. Marwan Khalifeh, Plastic Surgeon
---Except in extraordinary circumstances liposuction of the cheek is not indicated. Vincent Zubowicz, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Your support here has been the one bright spot in all this. This has been one continuous frustration in so many ways. The latest frustration, I went back to the ophthalmologist I saw shortly before the PS. My vision has worsened, which he confirmed. However, he wouldn’t give me an RX for glasses yet as 3 ½ months post-op my eyeballs are still swollen & I cannot close either eye fully, this had led to dry eye problems. He’s talking about putting in tear duct plugs &/or surgery on my eyes! So it’s off to other specialists for additional opinions on my eyes as well as for nerve pain from the neck injury too.
Every morning when I do my makeup it’s depressing and it puts me in a pissy mood that I just can't shake. Not good when you deal with the public selling real estate, my income suffers. It's so bothersome to see people staring oddly at me or when talking to someone and their eyes veer slightly off as they look at my face. Actually, it's just as uncomfortable when they look me in the eyes.... are they looking at me or my eyes? All I can say is be very careful out there.
Thanks again! Karen