I was talking to someone who has been to Dr. Spiegel and this was what they told me-

I think the conservative reputation is due to the fact that Spiegel really works with your features to create a natural look rather than using the one-size-fits-all approach that I've seen from some other surgeons. Because of this, you'll look closer to to your original self (like a sister) rather than a completely different person.
Some people want to look like a very different person from their old selves which is totally understandable because some people can't shake the dysphoria that comes with seeing similarities to their old face. But in such cases, I would suggest they go to someone else because that isn't the type of work that Spiegel does.

Does that sound right? I love the work I see, but his conservative reputation is what worries me. If this is accurate then I am ok. But I think I have a very large and uneven nose and heavier brow that I need trimmed down. I'm not trying to totally change my appearance- a female version if myself sounds perfect.
I posted pictures recently but if I am really wanting a feminine nose and brow will his work likely be enough?

I can understand your concerns especially financially speaking. It's a lot of money to get tiny conservative changes. However, to me that seemed like a safety net - I didn't want someone making swooping changes to my face, in fact I didn't want "changes" at all, just corrections of the masculine parts. So in terms of the "sister" look, to me that's preferable.

I didn't get a comfortable feeling from my consultation there, but it was mostly due to his assistants kind of peer-pressuring me to book a date with him. He was pretty quiet and reserved, but perhaps he had something going on that day. My SRS surgeon who I'm very comfortable with performs some FFS procedures, but not all. I'll probably end up booking with Spiegel for either the whole set of procedures he recommended or completing them.

One thing you might want to ask about is his revision policy, especially considering his conservative nature. If he feminizes your nose and brow, but not as much as you think is best, you might want to be comfortable knowing you're protected with a revision option. Make sure he knows about where you'd like the work to be focused. Someone here suggested getting skull x-rays before any procedure has been done and I really recommend that to potentially aid in any kind of revision process.

My understanding is that about half the people he operates on are positively thrilled with the results, and the other half can't see the slightest difference...if you're looking for similar results but at a lower price point, I'd suggest looking at Dr. Cardenas's work.  It's quite naturalistic as well, about half the price.   You don't really need very much done-a brow lift, and a bit of work on your nose and chin would leave you about good to go-I envy your face! 

Best wishes

Quote from: androgynouspainter26 on June 12, 2014, 09:52:57 PM
My understanding is that about half the people he operates on are positively thrilled with the results, and the other half can't see the slightest difference...if you're looking for similar results but at a lower price point, I'd suggest looking at Dr. Cardenas's work.  It's quite naturalistic as well, about half the price.   You don't really need very much done-a brow lift, and a bit of work on your nose and chin would leave you about good to go-I envy your face! 

Best wishes

Where is Dr. Cardenas's practice ? In the US ?

No, he's a bit outside Guadalajara I belive-I'm on the fence about mexico as well, but he seems pretty well qualified. 

I received good care in Mexico, Dr. C is now operating out of the new Innovare plastic surgery hospital. The care is GREAT in Mexico the issue for me was the forehead procedure used was not aggressive enough. I wish we had done a type III reconstruction and setback of the frontal sinus... but instead Dr. C just opted for shaving method type I. 

I will need to have my forehead redone and that is the only thing I'm really unpleased about. So far have not been able to find ANYONE who has done type III with Cardenas who can attest to his ability so I will likely do the revision elsewhere.

Looking at you it's difficult to say if you need type I or type III forehead procedure. You might very well get away with Type I.

Yeah, she can absolutely have a type I or II-and his noses are positively immaculate, from what I've heard.  Jen, you are a lucky girl; I'd kill for that forehead, given the amount of pain I'd be able to forgo!

I hope you don't mind if I derail the topic a bit-but I'd actually like to hear about your experience with him, Jgirl.  He's not at the top of my list (mostly because I can't see any really impressive results from him), but I'd love to hear about the work he does, why he's a good choice, etc...

Overall my experience with Dr. Cardenas was good, he was caring and professional. Vicente his assistant took me to all of my appointments and helped me with my medications, he was fantastic. The recovery residence was great too, although the beds could be more comfortable. The food and the care was excellent though. I opted to stay in the hospital for two nights instead of just the one.

I think really my only complaint was that the forehead work was not aggressive enough as stated, plus my inner eyebrow could have been raised more so that my eyebrows would be more straight across, and the stitch job was a bit sloppy, they got too much hair stitched into the incision, which I've already complained about. The chin work appears to be good, but I noticed that we didn't take anything off the corners of my jaw, which should have been done, my face still appears to be a bit square/angular more than I would like because of that. I also think we could have done cheek implants and lipofilling to the temples, not sure why that wasn't recommended....  My nose came out fine, I wanted to be somewhat conservative there and my wishes were certainly respected.

OVERALL Dr. Cardenas is a good choice if you don't require aggressive forehead work. I also think you need to have a clear idea of what you want and be able to communicate it. If one is on a budget and they simply can't afford better, he is a safe choice and from that perspective I would recommend him. There is nothing dirty or dangerous about the operation in Guadalajara, for those who are concerned about it being Mexico. I think you'll find the level of care is surprisingly good.