Hi! I am having FFS soon and I am looking for advice on how the pre-op meeting with the doctor should go. My understanding is that it is my opportunity to make sure the doctor and myself are on the same page about the specifics of the surgery. Is there anything I should make sure I do or not do? Thank you in advance for any advice.
Moni

Hi Moni,

I wish you luck with the FFS. What I have learned is that every doctor has his own approach of doing the things, and usually they deliver similar foreheads, similar noses and so on... The trick is to let the doctor suggest what he thinks he can do with your face, compare that to previous results and decide. If you start arguing with the doctor most likely they will agree in the end with you BUT you may end up being unhappy with the results. So my advice is to let them talk and decide. I guess you are not in a rush, so if you interview several doctors I am sure you will find which one is the right for you.

Thank you for responding. Actually, I am scheduled with a particular doctor and this is the last meeting before the surgery. I see it as trying to make sure the doctor's vision and mine are the same. Didn't know if anyone had advise for this situation.
Moni

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HappyMoni,

I did two face to face consultations. The first doctor does not do bone work and recommended the second doctor that I went to later.

The first doctor gave me her thoughts and pricing for FFS that she is able to do. She was honest and recommended me to the second doctor for bone work. This was a great consultation.

The second doctor handed me a mirror and asked what I thought I needed. I did not use the mirror. I listed the procedures and he added 3 additional. The cost was $55,000. I asked if there was a logical division point such that two surgeries could be done at different times. I recommended 2 of the three he suggested be done 1 years after the first set of procedures. We agreed all three could be done later.

I do not need nose or cheek work. Both doctors said I have a nose people pay money for. Both said I have very soft features. Both said to not do adams apple work. I need to erase the male bone features and have an upper lip reduction.

I really liked the second doctor and we agreed on almost everything. There was something he spent some time on to help me see an issue a different way. I will have a scar from the forehead lowering. I will do follicle grafts 6 months after the ffS. He suggested I get a hair piece in the mean time. He recommended a place that he said was exceptional. I really did not want to wear a hair piece. He framed it in a way to help me see the issue as helping others see me and not a scar. Also, he said I work around very sick children and that the scar could frighten them.

Rachel

Rachel, are you still waiting for surgery? I am set on what I will do. What I am not sure of is what to cover in the final meeting before the surgery, the preop meeting.
Moni

Who is your doctor?

$55,000.00 !!!!!

Sorry but where do these surgeons get their prices from ....   

I suppose they think that many of us are millionaires !!!!

I will give you an example.

In 1991, I had SRS with James Dalrymple and it cost me £4500 which in those days was a lot of money.

But because he operated in London at the London Bridge Hospital, I guessed he was the best as against Michael Royle in Brighton who did the same surgery for £3500.

When I prolapsed 5-6 weeks after SRS, Dalrymple did not want to know and said "Plenty of genetic women walk around with prolapsed vaginas " and sent me on my way into the big wide world.

I will not print what I think of that man to this very day.

In 1997, Michael Royle and another surgeon performed colonvaginaplasty on me for £12000.00 which has been a total success.

So my moral is " The most expensive is not always the best ".

And most importantly " What happens when things go wrong which they can for whatever reason? "

I have FFS scheduled September 15, 2016 with Doctor Spiegel. I have my pre-op meeting 9:30 AM on the 14th. There is a 20 or so page document I need to read (done many times) that has a lot of information. I need to sign a copy of that. I want to review the procedures with him the day before.

I cut a face lift, neck lift and fat grafting at the temples. This cut $24,000 from the cost. My cost is $26,000 for forehead lowering, type three forehead, orbital correcting, reposition of eyebrows, upper lip shortening, mandible and chin correction.  I really do not need a face lift or neck lift; however, after the FFS with bone reduction I may need it. So next year I will see.

I will be doing GCS and a BA with McGinn in Nov. 15, 2016. She was the first doctor I went to. I need to also do voice, hair and adams apple before June 30, 2017.