What is the current consensus opinion on Dr. Zukowski?

[Maria77]

I went to Dr. Z for initial face work and five years later (last summer) I went back for forehead work (my forehead is not a priority) and middle age tightening up.   Unfortunately, I had a health concern where we had to cancel.   I'm going back this year, and he didn't penalize me for my issue (skin infection I thought was minor, was not). He is a stand up guy. 


About the procedures, I got nose, masseter, chin shave and also the adam's apple shave.  I did have post-op bruising, but nothing excessive.   Also, I asked him to be aggressive.  When I was healed I was very happy with my look and my  ent doc was impressed with the nose job.  So afterward, you do have some swelling, but it wasn't very painful-more discomfort.   Dr. Z stops by the hotel and checks up with you, and he even played with my big goofy cat (not one of the two pictured).  My husband likes him too.  His staff is great, especially Cole.   

Yeah, I'm a Dr. Z fan.   

[Becca Kay]

I'm seriously considering FFS next year. Right now the number one surgeon I am considering is Dr. Mark Zukowski in Chicago.

My reasons for leaning heavily toward Dr. Zukowski are the following:

• I don't think I necessarily need type 3 forehead work, nor do I want it. I'd rather minimize the risk of complications by breaching the sinus cavities.
• His soft tissue work is impressive
• I think Spiegel and Deschamps-Braly are too conservative in their approach to FFS
• No charge for revisions
• He is local so follow-up would be easier

However, there are a few things that give me pause. The first is a post on RealSelf from a woman who claims she has facial asymmetry after going to him. However, I think she looks great in her photos so I'm not sure her claims entirely hold water.

More worriesome is this old thread on another site, from someone who claimed his trachea shave messed up her voice. That's been a big worry of mine even though most people seem to come out of a trachea shave unscatched. I don't think I really need it but he says if I get jaw and chin sculpting I'll need a lower facelift which will make my Adam's apple look more prominent than it does now.

There is also the case of Maria Keegan who died at a nearby hospital in 2011 after undergoing multiple surgeries at his clinic. It sounds like that was a one-off case of a difficult recovery from anesthesia and is probably the main reason he requires medical clearance before he will operate.

I've been of course following Becca's FFS thread with great interest and I'm a little nervous regarding the ongoing paralysis of her lower lip. But it's also been only 9 weeks and she still has a lot of lower face swelling that could be affecting the nerves so I will hold off on making any determinations based on that for the time being.

I have done a consultation with him in person and while I agree that his personality is brusque I otherwise found him to be honest with his recommendations.

So what is the current consensus on Dr. Zukowski and his work? Is he still considered to be one of the top three choices? Or does he, as some claim, have more bad results than good?



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thanks for reading my thread.

I am 5 months post op and more impressed now with Dr Z's work than i was when you started this thread.  Extensive work like this is not without risks.  I knew going in that I

I have indeed had a LOT of swelling.  But I also bled more than average in surgery.  Dr Z referred to me as a "bleeder."  And my swelling and bruising has taken longer than average to go down.  Currently I still have moderate swelling under my chin/jaw, but everywhere else is in good shape.  He was aggressive with my chin contouring and I had a neck lift.  I still can't lower my lower lip on the left side.  Dr Z says my swelling continues to be the issue. He also wants to do a minor revision to my nose, Which i may have done next year in tandem with hair transplants to cover my forehead scar.

I am especially happy with the forehead and orbital rim work Dr Z did.  As I've healed i can see it better.  my forehead is smooth. And the lift he did took away my droopy eyelids and forehead wrinkles. 

The massetter muscle reduction was indeed worth the extra swelling and pain.  I was skeptical at first but now that my face is settled I really like how that combined with jaw contouring has made my lower face look much smaller and narrower. 

I had EXTREME facial dysphoria.  It was debilitating.  I couldn't look at myself in a mirror.  I was constantly being misgendered, even in makeup and a dress.  I would not have been happy paying Spiegel (my second choice) twice as much money for less work.  I would have come out of surgery looking too much like my old self.  I have watched other women i know go through that and I'm glad I chose Zukowski.

As noted in other posts, some people find that Zukowski has a grating personality. If you don't like being called Honey and Sweety constantly you'll quickly get annoyed.  But he has been brutally honest with me and he gave me a gift that has changed my life.  I have not been misgendered even once since my surgery 5 months ago.  And my dysphoria is massively diminished.  When I look in the mirror I nolonger see the boy.  Now I only see me.