FFS. How long are you in hospital?

[Nattiedoll]

Hi everybody,

Ibset my consultation up with Dr.Zukowski in Chicago for FFS. My main questions is the traveling. I live in Newyork. I will ask the DR these questions but figured I should get an idea from girls who had the surgeries. Does anybody know how long you are required to stay until you go home? A week? A day? Haha I really don't know I want to hear your experience and knowledge on this! I'm 20 and I have to go alone

Looking foward to hearing your responses.

Thanks dolls

[kittenpower]

I had surgery with Dr. Z in September. The day of my surgery I had to be at his office at 5:15 a.m., and the caregiver I hired from Dr.Zukowski's office took me back to my hotel at around 7 p.m. (if you are traveling alone, you will need to hire a caregiver for 24 hours minimum on the day of your surgery, and on post op day 3 you will need to have a caregiver for another 4 hours to remove your dressing, help you shower, show you how to put on your compression garment, and also show you how to do the post op massage). I arrived in Chicago (I stayed at the Staybridge Suites) 2 days before my surgery, and I was there another 8 days (surgery day, and 7 post op days). What are you having done? I would be happy answer any questions you may have about my experience.

[Nattiedoll]

Thanks for the information! I figured I would need some time of caregiver but wasn't aware that you can hire one from Dr.Z that makes sense because I was thinking I will not be ok to be alone the day of and after lol. So you stayed over a week? My main thing is is that I would fly from Newyork but will I be able to even get on plane post op? I would look like I just got beat up really bad so I don't lmao if the airport is the right environment? I always wonder how people go home after surgery with bruises everywhere? I was thinking renting a car to drive there and back but that can become much more pricey the longer I stay in Chicago. I am trying to get everything done and scheduled within two months. I'm getting hairline lowered, brow shave, eyelid lift, lip lift, jaw shave, and Adam's apple shave. I'm working with my insurance to cover FFS. This is great because im saving for breast augmentation instead. What did you have done? You look gorgeous and the results look very feminine and natural I wouldn't have guessed you got ffs.

[kittenpower]

I didn't have a problem flying home, and Dr. Z gave me a letter for the use of handicap services at the airport, which was really nice to have at O'hare, but I didn't use the wheelchair service at Sky Harbor in Phx where I live, because it is a much smaller airport.  Thanks for the compliment, but my current profile picture was taken before my surgery with Dr. Z; I had some FFS several years ago which included type 3 forehead reconstruction, scalp advancement, rhinoplasty with osteotomy, cheeklift, upper lip lift, and trach shave. Dr. Z did jaw (with masseter muscle reduction) and chin contouring, necklift, fat injections to my nasolabial folds and lips, and a bilateral lower blepharoplasty; I plan to share some pictures when more swelling subsides, but right now the right side of my face and jawline are still very swollen.

[Nattiedoll]

Were you all bandaged and bruised at airport? If the handicap service worked for you then I will probably consider flying which would be much easier for me. My friend got FFS last year from him and she looked super crazy the first week lol but maybe because she had so much done like I'm planning on doing. How is your healing process? How long did it take you to be able to get back to your daily routines, if you even have yet? Also after your consultation and everything, when you were ready to schedule the surgery date how far did you have to wait? Congrats on getting through it girl, your information is really helpful

[kittenpower]

I had the compression garment on my face that Dr. Z gave me, and I was very bruised and swollen, but it wasn't a problem for me to fly. My healing process has been difficult with all of the swelling, but hopefully I will have a really good result when I heal completely. I had my consultation over the phone with Dr. Zukowski in April, and I decided to book my Sept. surgery date in June.

[Nattiedoll]

Yeah I they say it even takes a full year for healing overall. So you had the consultation in April and you said the earliest appointment he had was June? Sorry I don't know if I misunderstood lol. By the way, what exactly is the handicap service in airport? Do you have to wait at security or do you get a special seat? When he did the jaw procedure, did he shave the bone or just take the muscles? My jaw looks square and masculine so I figured the jaw shaving and muscle resection would work.

[kittenpower]

Yeah I they say it even takes a full year for healing overall. So you had the consultation in April and you said the earliest appointment he had was June? Sorry I don't know if I misunderstood lol. By the way, what exactly is the handicap service in airport? Do you have to wait at security or do you get a special seat? When he did the jaw procedure, did he shave the bone or just take the muscles? My jaw looks square and masculine so I figured the jaw shaving and muscle resection would work.

When I spoke to him in April I was still considering other surgeons, and I didn't make up mind to go with Dr. Z until June; I probably could have gotten a much earlier surgery date, but September is when I wanted to have the surgery.

The handicap service is arranged by your airline; call them a few days before you fly home, explain that you are recovering from surgery, and that you have a letter from your surgeon requesting special needs; check in at the airline counter at the airport, and they will call for wheelchair assistance (they didn't ask me for my letter, but be prepared to show it). Wheelchair assistance allows you to go to the front of the line at security, and when you board your plane. 

Dr. Zukowski removed bone and muscle from my jaw. 

[NataliaDoll]

I finished my consultation with Dr.Z. I think he's a great choice and answered all my questions. They are even sending papers to recommend where to stay etc they probably did it with you as well. His open spots are within 1-2 months but due to my schedule I probably have to wait 3-4 months I'm not sure if someone will be coming with me but if not I have to hire a caregiver which I assume isn't a part of the bill right. Do you know around how much the caregiving fee is? And is the care giver with you everyday? We didn't discuss the traveling part of it.

[kittenpower]

Hi, all of the information will be provided in the notebook they send, but I paid $575 for the first 24 hours, and then I had a caregiver on day 3 to help me shower, show me how to care for my incisions, put on the compression garment, and show me how to do the post op massage routine; and the cost for that is around $275. 

[Lagertha]

I finished my consultation with Dr.Z. I think he's a great choice and ...

Are you 180% shure that you dont need forehead reconstruction?

[NataliaDoll]

Are you 180% shure that you dont need forehead reconstruction?

I never said I wasn't getting forehead reconstruction, that's actually one of things we were talking about. I will mostly likely get the hairline advancement and the brow shaving.

[NataliaDoll]

Hi, all of the information will be provided in the notebook they send, but I paid $575 for the first 24 hours, and then I had a caregiver on day 3 to help me shower, show me how to care for my incisions, put on the compression garment, and show me how to do the post op massage routine; and the cost for that is around $275.

Oh okay, so just two times she came to help. I guess I should just wait for the notebook to come it has everything in it. I'm just very excited lol

[kittenpower]

Milena was by far my favorite caregiver. Also, if you can afford a caregiver for the first 48 hours plus another 4 hours on the third day, that would really be beneficial.

[NataliaDoll]

Is that picture of you post op? I think your result looks amazing you look very youthful and feminine and your skin is to die for I will keep Milena in mind for the caregiver.
By the way random but have you gotten the boobies done. I ask because I plan on doing that after FFS can't do it at same time because it's a separate cost. Do you have any recommendations or want too share where you went? I was considering Dr.Cardenas in Thailand. I like the idea of the teardrop implants.

[Lagertha]

I never said I wasn't getting forehead reconstruction, that's actually one of things we were talking about. I will mostly likely get the hairline advancement and the brow shaving.

You might wanna be aware that dr. Zukowski doesnt perform forehead reconstruction (or "type 3" reconstruction), but only does some slight bone shaving and smoothing. Its not the same procedure as reconstruction, and results are not nearly the same. I would suggest you learn about this before making any commitment, because its kind of very important. This would be good place to start : http://www.virtualffs.co.uk/Forehead.html

[NataliaDoll]

You might wanna be aware that dr. Zukowski doesnt perform forehead reconstruction (or "type 3" reconstruction), but only does some slight bone shaving and smoothing. Its not the same procedure as reconstruction, and results are not nearly the same. I would suggest you learn about this before making any commitment, because its kind of very important. This would be good place to start : http://www.virtualffs.co.uk/Forehead.html

Thanks for the link I see for the reconstruction method that they take the bone out and put it back in. I was aware that Dr.Z just shaved the bone. Does the reconstruction type 3 give a better result? I've seen patient from Dr.Spiegel and their brow bone results looked amazing and feminine and flat. I have looked into Zukowskis work and I have seen good results as well for this procedure.

[kittenpower]

Is that picture of you post op? I think your result looks amazing you look very youthful and feminine and your skin is to die for I will keep Milena in mind for the caregiver.
By the way random but have you gotten the boobies done. I ask because I plan on doing that after FFS can't do it at same time because it's a separate cost. Do you have any recommendations or want too share where you went? I was considering Dr.Cardenas in Thailand. I like the idea of the teardrop implants.

Yes, it's a post op picture; thanks for the compliment I Had my boobs done in Thailand by Dr. Chettawut, but I think Dr. Cardenas has a good reputation for BA; I have round implants, and I'm mostly happy with them, but I'm going to have them redone in a couple of years, and I want to go with teardrops for a more natural look, and Dr. Cardenas is a very likely choice for me.

[Lagertha]

Does the reconstruction type 3 give a better result?

Most patients have frontal sinus wall thickness of around 2.5 milimeters. A surgeon using same technique as Zukowski is able to shave off 0.5 milimeters, or 1 milimeter... the strongest outside layer of bone gets shaved off, and you are left with bone which is far less strong, and 1.5 milimeters thick. Only 3-5% of patients have underdeveloped sinus with thick sinus wall, which allows to shave larger amount of bone. Whether you have thin or thick bone wall can be seen with x-ray images. So the change with this technique is generally really subtle. Surgeon can shave what he can shave, and he can add bonepaste above the brow bossing, to create smoother appearance. If you practically dont have any brow bossing, its possible to achieve good result with this technique, basically just make forehead smoother. However if you have even slightly prominent bossing, this wont give good result. And the only way to create somewhat smooth forehead would be by shaving what you can and adding large amounts of bone paste above the bossing, and create socalled "dolphin forehead". If you dont have really problematic brow bossing, but you have frontally projected lower third of forehead, this also isnt going to work ideal.


I found few examples of a surgeon who uses same technique as Zukowski...   
http://content.screencast.com/users/ma5642/folders/Jing/media/f3563810-728d-48fe-aefe-2b2e9945481e/12.png
http://content.screencast.com/users/ma5642/folders/Jing/media/3a4640b8-edf2-406b-88b6-99cef02da7a5/14.png
http://content.screencast.com/users/ma5642/folders/Jing/media/9fb56432-5d16-4afc-8109-26cbc338ed53/11.png

...and one example of what "type 3" can do for comparison.
http://content.screencast.com/users/ma5642/folders/Snagit/media/a1e2e3b8-d528-41af-9c61-a962b8ddfdfb/11.28.2015-02.34.png

[NataliaDoll]

Wow, I knew that there were different techniques and knew the technique that Dr.Z does but I didn't know the results are that different. My brow isn't prominent like the ones displayed above  it's pretty flat for the most part but still needs work in my opinion. My problem isn't in the middle like the woman posted above my bossing is more on the sides of my brows which he noticed as well. I don't get why you can't just shave it all down like you can with the jaw and nose. My brows aren't that prominent but I would prefer flat as pancake look. I know someone who got the brow shave from Dr.Z she looks great the result is flat and the ones on his website look like great results as well. Do you know what Doctor did those brow shavings? The women are beautiful but the results should have been far better and flatter, I would not go to that surgeon.