I am in the process of planning what I want done to my face sorted with Dr Cardenas.  This thread has been very useful in not only emphasising the importance of communicating expectations but also in working out what is most important to me.  I am not too concerned with my forehead as at my age, trying to be as beautiful as possible just isn't worth it.  Time has done just too much!! That said, the investment in my face with electrolysis and with FFS to come is a lot so I am after the best I can afford.

Thank you jgirl76 for being so open with us and well done everyone else for providing comments and opinions without the thread being locked.  A few promising threads have been destroyed by pointless bickering.  By continuing a constructive discussion, I have settled a few things about what I want from FFS.

jgirl76, as others have said, even if I think you are going to be gorgeous (you already are!), that doesn't matter.  It is what you feel about your appearance that is so much more important.  This is (like a lot of transition stuff) about you.  I wish you all the very best.

Emma

Dont be so harsh on yourself, you dont know what changes will the HRT bring in time, good luck with everything!

Quote from: crowcrow223 on June 01, 2014, 03:48:08 PM
Dont be so harsh on yourself, you dont know what changes will the HRT bring in time, good luck with everything!

I'm not being harsh on myself, this isn't a criticism, it is a fact that only type III can set the sinus back behind the bridge of the nose in most cases. I have been on HRT for 18 years....  :-) 

Quote from: EmmaD on June 01, 2014, 03:26:49 PM
I am in the process of planning what I want done to my face sorted with Dr Cardenas.  This thread has been very useful in not only emphasising the importance of communicating expectations but also in working out what is most important to me.  I am not too concerned with my forehead as at my age, trying to be as beautiful as possible just isn't worth it.  Time has done just too much!! That said, the investment in my face with electrolysis and with FFS to come is a lot so I am after the best I can afford.

Thank you jgirl76 for being so open with us and well done everyone else for providing comments and opinions without the thread being locked.  A few promising threads have been destroyed by pointless bickering.  By continuing a constructive discussion, I have settled a few things about what I want from FFS.

jgirl76, as others have said, even if I think you are going to be gorgeous (you already are!), that doesn't matter.  It is what you feel about your appearance that is so much more important.  This is (like a lot of transition stuff) about you.  I wish you all the very best.

Emma

Emma you're welcome. The primary goal of this thread is to help prospective Cardenas patients make the most informed decision. If I've been able to help one person after me, it was worth it. All-in-all the result I got was good. I will likely be back for some revisions but I like Cardenas very much. He is a good surgeon at the end of the day and he is worth a look for anyone wanting quality work at less than half the cost.

Thank you jgirl your candid account and picture Have told me what I wanted to know ever since I learned
About ffs. That Cardenas is and will be a very wise choice for me.
This is what I have for him to work with. My concern over forehead is
Now settled. My most pressing concern is tracheal shave since mine
Is the like the ultimate dudebro Adams apple



And Aubreyn7 can you please message me I would like to kindly ask
You about your cardenas experience

xNatasha I had my trach done as well and it was no little itty bitty apple either. I have a very passable voice and I was concerned that I would be risking it with the procedure. I'm happy to say that not only was there ZERO damage to my voice, but that Dr. Cardenas successfully removed all of the cartilage. The biggest thing to deal with post surgery is the scar. I  massage the incision with vitamin E oil to try and break up the scar tissue so that it will blend more. I may eventually get some laser to diminish it, but I only had surgery 2 weeks ago so it's too early to tell. If you go to Cardenas all the best to you!  PS I can tell that your forehead looks really smooth already, lucky girl.

Quote from: jgirl76 on June 01, 2014, 05:13:41 PM
I'm not being harsh on myself, this isn't a criticism, it is a fact that only type III can set the sinus back behind the bridge of the nose in most cases. I have been on HRT for 18 years....  :-)

I meant to said it to Emma, should have quoted her lol sorry for misunderstanding her timeline says she is 8 months on hrt

Thanks for mentioning dt Cardenas successfully removed all of your trachea bits and bobs! Such a positive information

Quote from: crowcrow223 on June 02, 2014, 01:09:21 AM
I meant to said it to Emma, should have quoted her lol sorry for misunderstanding her timeline says she is 8 months on hrt

Thanks for mentioning dt Cardenas successfully removed all of your trachea bits and bobs! Such a positive information

I am often too harsh but perhaps more realistic given at 52 and had large weight loss, my face is suffering the effects of gravity.  Actually, given Dr Cardenas wants to do more soft tissue work with my face, eyes and neck, I am hopeful for a nice result.  He doesn't want to do much to my forehead which I am Ok with.  I intend to explain exactly what that little bit needs to end up like though.  He doesn't want to touch my jaw or chin which is a bit of a surprise and the chin at least may get added to the list!  My nose is on the list and that is not negotiable!! Trachea may get a look once he can see and feel it.

Given personal consults aren't easy or affordable when you live at the bottom of the planet, I am relying on assessments of photos to see who is way out compared the others.    So far, Cardenas and the Facial Team are the same with Chet offering everything he does (including Type III where the others are Type I)!  I actually thought Chet was just sending is list of procedures but he included a lengthy assessment of my face at the same time under each procedure.  Without a consult in person, I am expecting to have to be flexible in settling on what I want done and settle on that the day before.  Thats why I need to have a clear idea of what I want and what is possible.  I really appreciate this sort of discussion as it helps hugely in getting my head around the problem of my head

Quote from: EmmaD on June 02, 2014, 03:32:07 PM
I am often too harsh but perhaps more realistic given at 52 and had large weight loss, my face is suffering the effects of gravity.  Actually, given Dr Cardenas wants to do more soft tissue work with my face, eyes and neck, I am hopeful for a nice result.  He doesn't want to do much to my forehead which I am Ok with.  I intend to explain exactly what that little bit needs to end up like though.  He doesn't want to touch my jaw or chin which is a bit of a surprise and the chin at least may get added to the list!  My nose is on the list and that is not negotiable!! Trachea may get a look once he can see and feel it.

Given personal consults aren't easy or affordable when you live at the bottom of the planet, I am relying on assessments of photos to see who is way out compared the others.    So far, Cardenas and the Facial Team are the same with Chet offering everything he does (including Type III where the others are Type I)!  I actually thought Chet was just sending is list of procedures but he included a lengthy assessment of my face at the same time under each procedure.  Without a consult in person, I am expecting to have to be flexible in settling on what I want done and settle on that the day before.  Thats why I need to have a clear idea of what I want and what is possible.  I really appreciate this sort of discussion as it helps hugely in getting my head around the problem of my head

I'm not surprised as Dr. Cardenas does FFS but also specializes in facial rejuvenation which can be just as important to feminizing the face. For the cost and the level of care provided he is a solid choice.

Quote from: jgirl76 on May 27, 2014, 08:14:12 PM
I recently had full FFS with Dr. Cardenas, including forehead. We did a type I procedure and this was fine for removing the orbital rim brow bossing, but it was NOT sufficient for setting the frontal sinus area back behind the bridge of my nose. My forehead is now smooth and convex in shape BUT it is apparent that my frontal sinus still protrudes some over the bridge of my nose, which you rarely see in genetic females. Yes, Dr. Cardenas can grind down the bossing on the orbital rims, but he cannot set back the frontal sinus with type I or II. If you are going to Cardenas and you have any doubts, suggest type III. I wish I had just done that...  My forehead is good, but it's not "great"  Unsure at this time if I will attempt type III with Cardenas or with someone else, perhaps DiMaggio at a later date.

Overall I feel I received a good result, Dr. Lazaro Cardenas is a fine surgeon and the care I received was excellent. 

Pre-op photos : http://s1282.photobucket.com/user/jgirlpacific/library/

Hi jgirl, I too had surgery with Dr C last August. All the surgeries cost me $16′500. He done as little as he could get away with, yes my forehead is better as is my nose, chin and ears, but they all have to be done again. Some people say that he is too conservative, as did I, but he simply does not put the effort and time in that is required to make a "fantastic" result, he just about does enough...... kind of....."Meh that'll do". I am not going back to him, even if he would do the revisions for free, which he wont, he actually wants me to pay another $8′000. Needless to say, Im still looking for another surgeon.

Quote from: TearDrops on June 07, 2014, 07:08:28 PM
Hi jgirl, I too had surgery with Dr C last August. All the surgeries cost me $16′500. He done as little as he could get away with, yes my forehead is better as is my nose, chin and ears, but they all have to be done again. Some people say that he is too conservative, as did I, but he simply does not put the effort and time in that is required to make a "fantastic" result, he just about does enough...... kind of....."Meh that'll do". I am not going back to him, even if he would do the revisions for free, which he wont, he actually wants me to pay another $8′000. Needless to say, Im still looking for another surgeon.

Hi TearDrops

I was wondering if you had any pre-op and post-op result pics that you could PM me? I am getting increasingly worried that I may have picked the wrong surgeon for my FFS. I am scheduled with Dr Cardenas in exactly two weeks. It's fine if you don't give out your pics.

Maybe it's about the fact that at the end of the day, these are feminising surgeries, not beautifying, per se. They are supposed to repair what testosterone has done and bring it to the female scale so to speak.

Do you mean he is too conservative when it comes to what surgeries? Forehead and jaw? Thanks for responding

I've seen some time ago, FFS results, from I guess year 2013, by dr Suporn, and I could tell he always aims to achieve natural looking results, that wouldn't be considered to be "beautiful" by many, they just made her face more passable.

Quote from: Roni on June 07, 2014, 08:44:25 PM
Hi TearDrops

I was wondering if you had any pre-op and post-op result pics that you could PM me? I am getting increasingly worried that I may have picked the wrong surgeon for my FFS. I am scheduled with Dr Cardenas in exactly two weeks. It's fine if you don't give out your pics.

Roni, I think Cardenas is good but I would have gone with type III as you already know. I also think the inner part of my eye brows by the bridge of my nose were not raised enough. I also would have done cheek implants or fat to the cheeks and temples to get rid of the hollowness, but he didn't recommend that. I think he did a good job on my chin, but the corners of my jaw were not touched and ultimately I feel that my face remains too square because of the "flaring" that was left on the corners of the jaw. It's almost been a month since surgery but I just have a feeling that I'm not "finished". Additionally the fat infiltration to the lips was a waste of time (it hasn't lasted) I wish I had gone with the lip lift that he suggested, but I didn't.  What else... I feel the stitch job that was completed was a bit sloppy, a lot of my hair has been sewn into the incision and is festering in some places. A local plastic surgeon said it may resolve on it's own, but if not then I'll need to have it resolved. He said it's not uncommon for this kind of surgery BUT STILL I think they could have done a better stitch job. 

Do I look better and more feminized? Yes absolutely... but do I feel like I got the result I really wanted? Not completely. I will require a revision... I'm just not sure if I will go to him for that or to another surgeon....  The idea of another surgery right now feels daunting.

If you have any misgivings about your choice then I would speak with Dr. Cardenas himself about your concerns/expectations of the surgery ASAP. I have to be honest the most dramatic results I've seen for around the price that Cardenas is charging, come from DiMaggio. If I don't end up doing my revision with Dr. Cardenas then I will be going to Buenos Aires more than likely. 

One other thing to consider... DiMaggio's jaw work really isn't that spectacular, in my mind anyway. His strong suit is really foreheads...  If you think you can get a good type III result from Cardenas and your jaw is also of concern to you, then I think Cardenas does good work on the lower face. Tere, his wife does the rhinoplasties. She completely respected my wishes regarding my nose. If your jaw really isn't a big concern, and your concern is mostly forehead related, then DiMaggio might be a better choice. Without knowing what you look like I really can't say. At the end of the day I don't think Cardenas is a bad choice, I think you just need to have a very clear idea of what your expectations are, what you want to see changed and communicate it directly. Keep us posted on what you decide in the days approaching!

Quote from: TearDrops on June 07, 2014, 07:08:28 PM
Hi jgirl, I too had surgery with Dr C last August. All the surgeries cost me $16′500. He done as little as he could get away with, yes my forehead is better as is my nose, chin and ears, but they all have to be done again. Some people say that he is too conservative, as did I, but he simply does not put the effort and time in that is required to make a "fantastic" result, he just about does enough...... kind of....."Meh that'll do". I am not going back to him, even if he would do the revisions for free, which he wont, he actually wants me to pay another $8′000. Needless to say, Im still looking for another surgeon.

I agree with you, I think he could have done more with my face too...  I will be going back to Guadalajara to discuss it with him in about 6 months and we'll see what he says. Any idea what other surgeon you are considering for revision?

Thanks Jgirl for all the infos, it's a true blessing to have You here, Thank You!

How big was your lip enhancement? Did he inject a lot of fat in your lips? I was thinking of getting my lip enhanced with my own fat, hoping to get a very, very big lips, I just want my lips to look hmm.. just very, very full. It's what I like. How much fat have you had injected? Did it all just disappear?

One suggestion I might add, if you're thinking of a liplift, I've had teosyal global injected in my lips in Jan 2012, this type of substance was supposed to vanish overtime, during the course of 2 years, yet, 2,5 years later, my lips are definitely bigger than before the surgery. and the way the surgeon injected this substance was in order to make my upper lip higher, and it definitely is. Just a food for thought as having teosyal injected is cheaper than getting a liplift.

I was thinking of getting a liplift but after seeing before and after pics, the result is so minimal, the price is so high, I remain unconvinced.

How do you feel about your nosejob done by Cardenas' wife? My biggest concern is my tip, especially when I smile, it just gets twice the size it s when I don't smile :/ Can't look at myself.

Thank You!

Quote from: crowcrow223 on June 08, 2014, 04:21:51 AM
Thanks Jgirl for all the infos, it's a true blessing to have You here, Thank You!

How big was your lip enhancement? Did he inject a lot of fat in your lips? I was thinking of getting my lip enhanced with my own fat, hoping to get a very, very big lips, I just want my lips to look hmm.. just very, very full. It's what I like. How much fat have you had injected? Did it all just disappear?

One suggestion I might add, if you're thinking of a liplift, I've had teosyal global injected in my lips in Jan 2012, this type of substance was supposed to vanish overtime, during the course of 2 years, yet, 2,5 years later, my lips are definitely bigger than before the surgery. and the way the surgeon injected this substance was in order to make my upper lip higher, and it definitely is. Just a food for thought as having teosyal injected is cheaper than getting a liplift.

I was thinking of getting a liplift but after seeing before and after pics, the result is so minimal, the price is so high, I remain unconvinced.

How do you feel about your nosejob done by Cardenas' wife? My biggest concern is my tip, especially when I smile, it just gets twice the size it s when I don't smile :/ Can't look at myself.

Thank You!

You're welcome! My lips were VERY full after surgery but all of that has disappeared now less than a month later... Individual results may vary, but for myself I didn't feel it was worth it. It was essentially a thousand bucks down the drain!  I feel good about my nose... I asked Tere to be conservative with the idea that we can always do more later. There may still be too much outward projection but the width was narrowed and the hump in my nose was taken out while maintaining the straight "Romanesque"  slope that is characteristic of my family. I didn't have any tip work completed so I couldn't tell you unfortunately. I won't know final results for 6 months to a year, but things look good so far. See my side-by-side photos here: http://s1282.photobucket.com/user/jgirlpacific/library/Cardenasprofilecomparison?sort=3&page=1

I truly see an amazing difference in the way you look but I fully respect and understand your concerns.

Hmm... Why did it disappear though... Is it personal? Is it surgeon's fault? I know patients who have had their lips enhanced with fat and the results have been amazing. Weird... I'm worried now. I need to be a lot smarter with my money now, as I've lost a lot on Chet already.

Quote from: jgirl76 on June 08, 2014, 03:59:34 AM
I agree with you, I think he could have done more with my face too...  I will be going back to Guadalajara to discuss it with him in about 6 months and we'll see what he says. Any idea what other surgeon you are considering for revision?

I'm still researching who will do my next surgery. I've had prices from FacialTeam[Spain], Dr Chettawut[Thailand], Femilife[Peru] and T. Change[Argentina]. Im going to look at Dr Di Maggios new site and some more of the Thai surgeons, and I wonder has anybody had any surgery with Dr Javier Rossi. I'm going to put another post up asking for input on the subject. Oh, also I am very suspicious of Tristan's input, as on her video she states the dates of her recent surgery, yet Ive been reading comments from her for two to three years now, always praising Dr C, it is very strange, unless she actually had to go back and get hers all redone by him, because it really was not good enough first time around [in which case why has she been praising him for the last 2 or 3 years]. I'm sure she will clear it up, if she reads this, or maybe she wont, because she cant!!