Face work - how to find a surgeon?

TerriDoodle · 09-03-2007, 08:54 AM

Next summer I'd like to have a brow lift and eyelid surgery done. There are probably 1,000 plastic surgeons here in Houston and I really don't know how to begin to find a good one.

I thought about getting started with a cosmetic dermatologist and get some referrals from them. But I just feel so lost.

Obviously if you have somebody working on your FACE you want the best there is!!! HELP! Any good ideas?

NM Sunshine · 09-03-2007, 03:14 PM

Terri,
In my research I found who is surpose to be one the best facelift plastic surgeon. He's in Reynosa, Mexico. He's Dr. Raul Lopez Castillo and here is his site:
McAllen,Reynosa Plastic Surgery by Dr Raul Lopez Castillo

I had read an article about good/bad plastic surgeons in MX and he came out on top. All the women from Houston go to him. Do an internet search, to find information about him.

kacee · 09-09-2007, 10:43 AM

Dang Terri...every time you post I feel closer to you! I too will be wanting some PS work done and am thinking of surgeons. Wanda at Dr. Spivak's just had Dr. Heller (he's the surgeon who comes to the wellness meetings and talks about PS. He was there last Tuesday but I couldn't go. I think he'll be there again in October and I want to go. There is also a surgeon here in Clear Lake I have heard great things about...Dr. Todd Adam. One thing about him is that he has a surgical center so his work is done on the premises...no hospital bills. A co-worker had a tummy tuck, augmnetation and lipo and her cousin had a bunch of work done too. They LOVED him. My goal, the more I look at it, is to get a number of things done over the next two years.... Number one is a neck lift. I've been left with this horrible old lady turkey waddle. I have always hated those and no way am I gonna have one for very long! I also am getting a little "sunken" under the eyes (whatever it is that opposite of bags). I have some lines on both sides of my mouth that make me look perpetually mad. Those need attending to. I want lipo on my saddlebags so I can look symmetrical in my pants (I am shaped like a pear....the more weight I carried, actually the more symmertrical I was...now that I am losing, the widest point on my are my saddlebags). And I MAY opt for a TT depending on what I look like after another 10 pounds or so fall off. I had an emergency appendectomy at 16 and it left me with a long vertical scar on my mid-right side. Because of adhesions, my fat is disproportionate on my front. I have a bulge on the left side and the right side is flatter where the scar is. Doesn't bother me THAT much, but I am one who has always had a perfectly flat stomach, so tht may get addressed in the fuure. Actually considering my age I think I look pretty darned good and beauticians and cosmetologists have always marveled that my skin is MUCH younger than my years. Let's keep in touch about this surgeon business...

TerriDoodle · 09-09-2007, 11:03 AM

Ok, yes.....let's do stay iin touch. I will start looking in earnest in the next few weeks. I don't have the nerve or the money to do a TT and/or lipo. It scares the heck out of me. But I'm not desperate YET!! LOL Check me in another couple of years!

kacee · 09-09-2007, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TerriDoodle

Ok, yes.....let's do stay iin touch. I will start looking in earnest in the next few weeks. I don't have the nerve or the money to do a TT and/or lipo. It scares the heck out of me. But I'm not desperate YET!! LOL Check me in another couple of years!

I found the Big Medicine surgeon....it's John LoMonaco. He's in the medical center.

TLC :: Big Medicine :: Bios

I don't have money yet either. My big loan from my 401K for my car will be paid off in 2009 and then I'll be able to pull money for this stuff.

Chrissi · 09-15-2007, 04:17 PM

Any cosmetic surgeon who HEAVILY advertises I would not use unless you know a few people who have had great results from him/her.
Take it from me, just my personal opinion, I went to a dr. who specialized in faces... He heavily advertised, and he touted being a dr. who specialized in just faces...Needless to say, he didn't do such good work on my face and didn't want to fix the mistake because he was afraid he would do more damage since he said my skin was so "sensitive." So, please beware of drs who advertise heavily, and I do mean heavily, in more than one or two outlets, like newspaper, radio, Sunday paper clipper section, other local papers, etc... They are advertising because they need the business. Why do they need the business so bad if they are so good?

Tulip · 09-17-2007, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kacee

I found the Big Medicine surgeon....it's John LoMonaco. He's in the medical center.

TLC :: Big Medicine :: Bios

I don't have money yet either. My big loan from my 401K for my car will be paid off in 2009 and then I'll be able to pull money for this stuff.

Hi Kacee and Terri, I'm looking forward and hoping that I will be interested in PS sometime late next year or 2. I looked up John LoMonaco and he did seem to get good results on Big Medicine. I saw on another message board that he offers free seminars once a month (kinda like Dr. Spivak). I didn't get to go, but would love to hear what he has to say.

At 53 years old, I have the problems of gravity combined with weight loss. So I'm ready for some researching. I read article in Good Housekeeping this month about medical tourism, and how some surgery centers abroad are just as competant as US surgery centers. I don't know how to research and find out the good ones, but the cost is about 75% less than US.

Please keep me in the loop.

Terry

TerriDoodle · 09-19-2007, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrissi

Any cosmetic surgeon who HEAVILY advertises I would not use unless you know a few people who have had great results from him/her.
Take it from me, just my personal opinion, I went to a dr. who specialized in faces... He heavily advertised, and he touted being a dr. who specialized in just faces...Needless to say, he didn't do such good work on my face and didn't want to fix the mistake because he was afraid he would do more damage since he said my skin was so "sensitive." So, please beware of drs who advertise heavily, and I do mean heavily, in more than one or two outlets, like newspaper, radio, Sunday paper clipper section, other local papers, etc... They are advertising because they need the business. Why do they need the business so bad if they are so good?

Oh, I'm with you all the way on this one!! HOWEVER, Dr. Spivak is an excellent surgeon who advertises 'heavily'...so that may not be the only barometer of how good a surgeon is. I'm thinking referrals from other good doctors.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tulip

Hi Kacee and Terri, I'm looking forward and hoping that I will be interested in PS sometime late next year or 2. I looked up John LoMonaco and he did seem to get good results on Big Medicine. I saw on another message board that he offers free seminars once a month (kinda like Dr. Spivak). I didn't get to go, but would love to hear what he has to say.

At 53 years old, I have the problems of gravity combined with weight loss. So I'm ready for some researching. I read article in Good Housekeeping this month about medical tourism, and how some surgery centers abroad are just as competant as US surgery centers. I don't know how to research and find out the good ones, but the cost is about 75% less than US.

Please keep me in the loop.

Terry

I'd be scared to death to get a lift overseas!!! Aaaack! Let's keep each other 'abreast'

of what we find out, ok?

enterprise01 · 09-19-2007, 06:06 PM

I've always thought it strange that general plastic surgeons do both the face and the body when the face requires much more delicate work. Personally, I'd only go to a facial plastic surgeon for anything on my face. I've had an eye lift, Botox, Restylane, and several laser procedures done on my face by Dr. Bradford Patt at the Houston Center for Facial Plastic Surgery. He is both an ENT surgeon and a facial plastic surgeon. His office is at Memorial Southwest and his website is www.pattmd.com if you want to check him out. (He's also done numerous ENT surgeries on me and I've always been pleased with the results.)

I think the best place to start is by asking friends and relatives if they know anyone who's had work done and who they used. After you've complied a list of 3 or 4 names, make appointments for consultations. Do your research and ask to see before and after pictures, ask about how many years of experience they have and how many procedures they've done. Also ask for client testimonials. Ask what action the doctor will take if you're unsatisfied with his work. Ask if he's ever been sued for malpractice and if so why and what was the outcome. If the doctor gets impatient with you or seems evasive, then that's a red flag.

mommi-hammi · 09-19-2007, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TerriDoodle

Let's keep each other 'abreast'

of what we find out, ok?

Me too - Me too!!! I see a tummy tuck and maybe some lipo in my 'not so distant' future girls and I want to stay in the loop. I am in the Clear Lake area too . . .

Thanks,
Lynn

NM Sunshine · 09-21-2007, 12:53 PM

Hi All
banded on Sept 11 and am losing. Need to lose 65 more pounds. R U all waiting until after you reach your ideal weight for facial PS? If so, how long do you plan on waiting after ideal weight for PS

TerriDoodle · 09-21-2007, 01:32 PM

Not for facial work, I'm not waiting!....but then again, I "only" have 35 more pounds to lose. Well, I won't be doing this until next summer, anyway....so I better be at goal by then!

NM Sunshine · 09-24-2007, 12:43 PM

10 Years ago I went to a consult with a PS for face & brow lift. I was 35 pounds overweight. He said I had to lose to my goal weight (125) and stabalize there for several months before he'd do the surgery. Said my face would again if I didn't. Now I have 65 pounds to lose. Banded Sept. 11

TerriDoodle · 09-24-2007, 10:44 PM

Oh, i guess that makes sense, NM Sunshine! Thanks!

kacee · 10-21-2007, 01:48 PM

I'm within 20 pounds of goal now and I think I could probably have some face work done, but I don't have the money right now so it is a moot point. My neck is a LITTLE better than it was, but it still has a sag that I am not happy with that ruins my general appearance. Ah well.....