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Talksurgery adheres to the Health On the Net Foundation's Code of Conduct
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'False Hopes'
Pros:
No one noticed the difference - just that I "looked good"
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Cons:
Too many to list - read my story!
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Cost:
$4,500
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Healing time:
one year
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Pain-o-meter: 3
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I was told by my doctor that she had learned a great procedure at Harvard Medical School whereby the scars would be invisible near the back of my ears, important to women who like to "wear their hair up". I feel she was experimenting on me: In the end, the scars are VERY visible and are located below my earlobes and run down into my neck for about an inch and a half!
It's been two year almost and they are very visible and easily visible especially when the wind blows the hair away from my face. Also, the operation time was four hours and I had to stay overnight in the hospital because I felt so sick. I was placed on the ward with seriously ill patients including one with a bilateral mastectomy in the adjoining bed. One nurse was apparently so disgusted with my presence that she alternately ignored me or talked to me in a surly manner.
Finally, the right side of my face was definitely tighter than the left. Also, foreign material ("stitches") was left under my skin. This was NOT told to me before or I would never have agreed to it. Whatever this material is, I can feel it and the area took over a year to feel normal as my body "worked" to accomodate it.
The "staples" and they are actually real metal staples punched into one's head, were to be taken out within the week, but because she had to attend a conference in another city, I lived with them for over two weeks. This began to affect me psychologically and some that were deeply imbedded in my skin only rose to the surface many weeks later.
My hair fell out in clumps, some of it had been cut after tightly wrapped in elastic bands and was soaked in blood for a day or two. I had to dissociate to get through this experience and, though my neck does look better, I would have searched for a different type of experience had I known - like a clinic where there are caring staff to deal with the incidentals which are actually very important. And I would have spoken to patients who had used this particular surgeon for this procedure.
The foreign materiel that was left under my skin, some type of stitching - I was told this after- and I worry about the long-term effects of it in my body. I do have pain on the right side of my face, sometimes in my ear, sometimes around my teeth (which I have had checked over and over). Think really hard and search for the best doctor you can find. Good luck
Here are more details:
How results differed from what I expected:
I expected to have no scars easily visible. They are VERY visible, down below my earlobes into my neck.
Biggest fears pre-procedure:
That the procedure would leave me too "stretched" like Catherine Hepburn, for example.
Healing aids used:
Not Specified
Number of doctors consulted:
only this one
Number of years I thought about having the procedure:
one
Had an elective procedure before:
No
Complications or follow-up procedures:
During the operation, I began to shake violently and the blood pressure band on my arm was so tight that I felt throbbing and excruciating pain in my right arm throughout the operation and in spite of the anesthesia. My attempts to tell the team were ignored! I have some periodic pain on the right side of my fact -deferred to my teeth which I have had checked repeatedly since the surgery.
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This information is not to substitute for professional medical advice. You
should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or
disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please
consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have
regarding your condition.
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Gender:
Female
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Age:
54
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Ethnic group:
Caucasian
Education:
Community college or university
Country:
Canada
State/Province:
Quebec
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Our weight alone is not a sufficient measure to assess our risk for disease. Total body fat, fat distribution and the consequences of dieting must be considered as well.
(Source: the Role of Weight Management in the Health of Women" by Sachiko T. St. Jeor, professor and director of Nutrition Education and Research at the University of Nevada, School of Medicine)
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