FFS Surgery include more or less proceedures?

[Rachel]

I just paid Dr. Spiegel for FFS which includes:

1 Forehead contouring with scalp advancement and browlift     $10,125
2 Mandible contouring                                                           $  8,525
5 lip lift                                                                                $  3,750

The total is $26,000 with hospital and anesthesia.
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I opted to not do the below due to budget:

4 Tightening of neck jowls and mid face  (face lift)                 $ 10,995
6 lower blepharoplasty   (lower eye lids)                               $   4,495
7 Fat Grafting to cheeks and temples                                     $  5,000

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The hospital and anesthesia costs are $5,000. If I include #4 and #6 I would need another $16,000 and the hospital cost is included in the work already paid for. I think I should add # 4 and #6 because the probability of me doing this later is lower on the list.  I have to pay for GCS and BA in Nov. which will be reimbursed from my insurance. Then hair and voice with trachea shave.

I will be 54 years old at the time if my FFS. I want the best shot I can have to fit in but I am thinking too much about it and I need a different perspective. If I got a have and neck lift nd lower eye work will it look fake? I could do it later in 2 years when other procedures have been done. Any perspective would be helpful.

[oneoftwo]

I just paid Dr. Spiegel for FFS which includes:

1 Forehead contouring with scalp advancement and browlift     $10,125
2 Mandible contouring                                                           $  8,525
5 lip lift                                                                                $  3,750

The total is $26,000 with hospital and anesthesia.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I opted to not do the below due to budget:

4 Tightening of neck jowls and mid face  (face lift)                 $ 10,995
6 lower blepharoplasty   (lower eye lids)                               $   4,495
7 Fat Grafting to cheeks and temples                                     $  5,000

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The hospital and anesthesia costs are $5,000. If I include #4 and #6 I would need another $16,000 and the hospital cost is included in the work already paid for. I think I should add # 4 and #6 because the probability of me doing this later is lower on the list.  I have to pay for GCS and BA in Nov. which will be reimbursed from my insurance. Then hair and voice with trachea shave.

I will be 54 years old at the time if my FFS. I want the best shot I can have to fit in but I am thinking too much about it and I need a different perspective. If I got a have and neck lift nd lower eye work will it look fake? I could do it later in 2 years when other procedures have been done. Any perspective would be helpful.

That is about as pricey as it gets.   But to answer your question -  (with a question ! ) - -  isn't it true that other surgeons recommend waiting 6 months or more to get the face lift in order to know for sure what will need to be worked on and to what extent those areas really need to be worked on ?

Especially since you are having your jaw (mandible) altered.   That is going to affect the scope of the neck lift work.

Question - -  have you already had an Adam's apple shave ?   I did not see that in the list of items for surgery.

   

[Rachel]

I have a small Adam's apple (#4 on the proposal) and I want to do that with voice. Yes, most recommend 5 to 12 month wait. However, with hotel, flights, kennel, work time, hospital and anesthesia it will add of 1/2 to the cost later.

[deeiche]

yes, you can wait to have soft tissue work done.

I was 56 when I had FFS along with extensive soft tissue work done by Dr Rossi in Argentina ( you can find my thread on Susans ).  The surgeon's liaison, Amanda, said best process would be to do bone work; forehead, chin and jaw, heal, then return for soft tissue work.  All procedure, bone and soft tissue, could be done at the same time, but results would not be as good, though still an improvement.  I chose everything at once, for several reasons.  I really did not want to go through surgery twice, plus taking time off from work.  Also, while waiting for healing process I'd actually look worse, the bone work would be done, but now the skin would be even looser.  I was okay with the lesser results ( 80% ) from doing everything at once because I had a lot of age related / sun damage to my face.

Having said all this, 8 months on I am very happy with the results.

[scarygrrl]

I chose everything at once, for several reasons.  I really did not want to go through surgery twice, plus taking time off from work. 

This would be my thinking as well. While budgets are things we have to live with, healing time is also a non-renewable resource.

ScaryGrrl

[Rachel]

Hi and thank you for those who replied. I will add:

4 Tightening of neck jowls and mid face  (face lift)                 $ 10,995
6 lower blepharoplasty   (lower eye lids)                               $   4,495

I am 54 (just had a birthday) and I think I will add an extra day in the hospital too.

Best,
Rachel