Hi Everyone,
So Finally I had my revision surgery done yesterday and everything went pretty smoothly.
I met with Dr T on Thursday and we went through the procedure, he said he will be unscrewing the implant will move up and rescrew back in. only this time he will screw from inside! To me this was the best option since there will be no scar!
We did discuss chin implant but at the end I decided no to go on with it. I know I would look better with a slightly longer chin but I was not prepared for that nor we could agree on the cost! I really like to give it some time and loose about 15lb and then make a call.
I also don’t want to be traveling so far, I am sure there many great doctors that could do the same job back on the East Coast.
I don’t have much discomfort as before, I have some minor pain and swelling; it’s pretty much like as if I had my wisdom teeth removed.
I was definitely more prepared on what to expect, so this time around I feel much better with no anxiety.
Revision was not the only procedure I did; I also had lipo on flanks and my tommy LOL.
More to come and My lipo experience, I need to go for a walk now….
cheers
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Revision Surgery in May! urgh... 3 months post Op
Hey guys,
Time for my monthly update!
I was in South America for the longest time and I just came back little over a week ago!
I got in touch with Dr. T and obviously there is a need for a revision surgery to fix the asymmetry!
The biggest question now is whether I want the implant to be placed lower or higher! I personally think I should bring up the right implant higher, placed exactly where the left one is! Currently I am scheduled for the revision surgery for May 15th, I am still debating whether I should get my chin done as well!
Meanwhile, I am pretty much healed! There is no visible scar from outside but the scar tissues in my mouth still healing; per terino it will take about a year for it to feel normal!
I need to call their office to make all the necessary arrangement for the revision surgery, will keep you guys posted. Again if you have any questions just email me!
Here are some more pix of my 3D CAT SCAN (all rights reserved! Please do not copy without permission!)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Saludo de América del Sur
I've been on a business trip for the past two weeks, I have some updates that I would like to share when I am back to the US next week.
Ciao
Ciao
Saturday, February 14, 2009
The Results Are in
Click on the image to enlarge
So today I got my results back from 3D CAT SCAN and here is what I was diagnosed with!
Of course, I asked for two sets of CDs one for me and one for Dr. T. The Images are incredible! (not in a good way, you be the judge!)
There is almost 1000 pictures, all in color, from any possible angle you could imagine!
So today I got my results back from 3D CAT SCAN and here is what I was diagnosed with!
Of course, I asked for two sets of CDs one for me and one for Dr. T. The Images are incredible! (not in a good way, you be the judge!)
There is almost 1000 pictures, all in color, from any possible angle you could imagine!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Once Again, Time Goes By Sooooo Slowly
57 Days Post Op!
Just a quick update on how the recovery coming along!
Let's start with my Nose!
As expected the tip is STILL swollen and firm to touch! The firmness is slightly more on the right side but it's definitely healing but is just taking a looooooooooong time. I still love the shape of it, I have to admit it did look 100% perfect to me when I had a little more swelling but I still like what I see!
Buccal Fat,
Again as we discussed before results for this specific procedure take the longest to show. I heard anything between 6 to 8 months! I think this is something that would be more visible in picture than just looking at the mirror.
As for scars, the right side is 100% healed and I don’t feel anything, left side is taking longer, when I roll my tongue around it I can feel the scar tissue!
Neck Lipo,
I can say I am 98% healed, I do feel a small railing on one spot but other than that lumpiness and numbness are gone and I have no visible scar! Overall I thought I would get a better result but so far I am not 100% happy, I should’ve gone for neck tightening instead!
Jaw Implants,
We talked about the asymmetry and yes they are still asymmetrical a bit.
The left side implant is giving me slight height increase and good angle towards the back of my jaw whereas the right side implant is giving me more height and less angular shape toward the back. I still don't know which side I like better I guess I have about 4 months before my revision surgery to make a decision!
As for the healing process, the scar tissues have not been fully healed! It feels as if I have a roll of gauze in my mouth on each side! I can full open my mouth, and when my mouth is completely stretched open, I can feel the swelling!
The only visible scar is a bit of red blemish from the screw on the right side only! Usually scares take a bit longer to heal on people with dark features. Honestly this is something that I am not really worried about it!
So, Today I had an appointment with my internal physician, I gave him an update on how the surgery went and talked about the asymmetry issue, he did say it is slightly noticeable if you stare at it but since I still have swelling it might look more obvious once ALL swellings dissipate!
He said specifically for the jaw it would take 3 to 6 month since we are messing around with the bone. I told him that I am getting revision surgery done to fix the asymmetry and in order for the doctor to see the difference he would need a 3D CAT SCAN, I also remember reading at MissJ's forum on how you can request a CAT SCAN so that your insurance would cover it. Pretty much your doctor would have to say you are suffering from sever pain and swelling of the jaw and it could possibly be Jaw arthritis! (I have attached a picture of the CAT SCAN you would need, this is not mine and I will post mine once I get it done!)
Since this is a 3D CAT SCAN, he said he would need to look around to see which hospital is equipped for it!
As for picture, I know I promised you guys one, I took a passport picture on Friday to renew my passport and so far this is the only picture I have that someone else has taken it from me since my surgery (except my post op pictures at Trino's office which I will be asking a copy on Monday). I don’t really like the picture so I will be deleting it in a week! (pls do not copy this picture and post it at ANY forum or anywhere online).
Again if you have any questions, email me at meltcross@hotmail.com
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Day 40
Another long silence from my part, I apologize! Honestly, It hasn’t even been 6 weeks from the surgery and I was going to wait till I meet with him again to update my blog. I had my appointment with him on Monday and I had to go to work the day after.
All right, enough excuses. Three weeks into my surgery I totally freaked out! The swelling was totally uneven and the fact that one of the implants positioned lower didn’t help. I felt like a looser specially being a perfectionist! Going through all these troubles and not being 100% happy??? Did I set my expectations too high???
Someone told me to avoid the mirror for the 1st 2 months post surgery, well trust me if I could, I would. Is just too hard not to examine yourself on daily basis, I was keep looking for all the flaws and I still am.
Let’s go back to where we left out! I was worried about the neck lip and lumpiness and the issue with asymmetry.
Let’s start with lipo, well the numbness is 100% gone and I can 100% feel my under-chin and neck. The lumpiness is also gone for the most part, I would say about 80%, everything morning when I get up and put my décolleté moisturizer on I can feel it’s getting better and better! I am being told it would take 2 to 3 months to see the actual results; so far it looks definitely better than before! Oh yeah, there are no visible scars whatsoever.
My nose looks GREAT, the breathing is pretty much fixed and my pre op daily congestion is GONE! The tip of it is still swollen and HARD. Nose healing process is quite long, the hardness is not becoming soft but its volume is becoming less and less, I would give it another 3 months to soften again.
Buccal fat same thing, Terino show me more pictures and honestly in some patients it toke 6 to 8 months to see the final result, but my cheeks look definitely thinner, but I am still waiting for the hollowness to appear!
OK, now let’s talk about the big daddy, THE JAWS!
Well, I was right about the asymmetry. On Monday he measured my jaw line and the right side was definitely lower then the left side. It was actually 5 mm lower! Hmmm, didn’t he put the 8 mm on the right and the 10 on the left to account for the 2 mm asymmetry he measured prior to the surgery??? So how the hell all of the sudden it became worse! Just like any doctor would’ve said he said “he tried his best on that day and sometimes it just doesn’t come out right”. I was NOT happy with his answer and he knew it, so we worked out a deal! I’ll get my 3D cat scan pictures and he will do the revision for free!
I am meeting with my general physician Friday 30th to get the note for it. I will post the pictures on here once I’ll get hem. (as of right now I am planning to get the revision done in may, I think that enough time for 99% of swelling to dissipate)
As for the sutures, they are all gone! The buccal fat incisions are healing perfectly and I can hardly feel any scar tissues! The jaw is taking a bit longer. I now can fully open my mouth and pretty much eat everything I want. I have no pain but I can feel my jaw muscles are pulling when I stretch open my mouth. And still a bit sensitive on my bit! Again it takes time for the jaw muscles to heal.
The scars for the screws are pretty much gone as well, there are about two tiny dots and I am sure they’ll be gone in no time.
I know you guys are dying to see pictures; I like to have another two weeks to post my 1st post op picture.
Again, I am sorry not to update the blog earlier; if you guys like to contact me directly you can email me at meltcross@hotmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to answer to any of your questions.
Xoxo
Aleks
All right, enough excuses. Three weeks into my surgery I totally freaked out! The swelling was totally uneven and the fact that one of the implants positioned lower didn’t help. I felt like a looser specially being a perfectionist! Going through all these troubles and not being 100% happy??? Did I set my expectations too high???
Someone told me to avoid the mirror for the 1st 2 months post surgery, well trust me if I could, I would. Is just too hard not to examine yourself on daily basis, I was keep looking for all the flaws and I still am.
Let’s go back to where we left out! I was worried about the neck lip and lumpiness and the issue with asymmetry.
Let’s start with lipo, well the numbness is 100% gone and I can 100% feel my under-chin and neck. The lumpiness is also gone for the most part, I would say about 80%, everything morning when I get up and put my décolleté moisturizer on I can feel it’s getting better and better! I am being told it would take 2 to 3 months to see the actual results; so far it looks definitely better than before! Oh yeah, there are no visible scars whatsoever.
My nose looks GREAT, the breathing is pretty much fixed and my pre op daily congestion is GONE! The tip of it is still swollen and HARD. Nose healing process is quite long, the hardness is not becoming soft but its volume is becoming less and less, I would give it another 3 months to soften again.
Buccal fat same thing, Terino show me more pictures and honestly in some patients it toke 6 to 8 months to see the final result, but my cheeks look definitely thinner, but I am still waiting for the hollowness to appear!
OK, now let’s talk about the big daddy, THE JAWS!
Well, I was right about the asymmetry. On Monday he measured my jaw line and the right side was definitely lower then the left side. It was actually 5 mm lower! Hmmm, didn’t he put the 8 mm on the right and the 10 on the left to account for the 2 mm asymmetry he measured prior to the surgery??? So how the hell all of the sudden it became worse! Just like any doctor would’ve said he said “he tried his best on that day and sometimes it just doesn’t come out right”. I was NOT happy with his answer and he knew it, so we worked out a deal! I’ll get my 3D cat scan pictures and he will do the revision for free!
I am meeting with my general physician Friday 30th to get the note for it. I will post the pictures on here once I’ll get hem. (as of right now I am planning to get the revision done in may, I think that enough time for 99% of swelling to dissipate)
As for the sutures, they are all gone! The buccal fat incisions are healing perfectly and I can hardly feel any scar tissues! The jaw is taking a bit longer. I now can fully open my mouth and pretty much eat everything I want. I have no pain but I can feel my jaw muscles are pulling when I stretch open my mouth. And still a bit sensitive on my bit! Again it takes time for the jaw muscles to heal.
The scars for the screws are pretty much gone as well, there are about two tiny dots and I am sure they’ll be gone in no time.
I know you guys are dying to see pictures; I like to have another two weeks to post my 1st post op picture.
Again, I am sorry not to update the blog earlier; if you guys like to contact me directly you can email me at meltcross@hotmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to answer to any of your questions.
Xoxo
Aleks
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Day 23
Well, see who is back!
I know I’ve been avoiding my blog for almost two weeks. Is just been tough going through the healing process and being busy with work and traveling back and froth to California.
So with no further due, I will tell you how exactly things went once I returned home from Southern California.
Last thing we knew I was a little worried about one the right side implant sutures being open! So I tried to take it easy with food and everything. On Friday the 26th. Me and couple of friends decided to go out of town visiting a mutual friend. Evening started great and we were having a lot of fun (i got a little drunk), next day we had brunch, which I continued with my soft diet! One the way back I laying on the back seats, I felt asleep and when I got up I did have some pain on my right side jaw and I tasted blood. By then we were already back home, I came up with an excuse and left my friend’s house to my place.
I was bleeding semi heavily from my right jaw, Of course I freaked out and immediately called Dr Terino’s emergency phone number! His instruction was do not panic, this is what you should do” go get a 4x4 gauze, roll it up make it wet and placed on top of the wound, put pressure from outside and inside and hold it for at least 30 mins. He asked how long I was post op and he said you should have no worries if the bleeding doesn’t stop just go to an emergency room get some stitches. But I am sure it will stop”. Bleeding stopped after 30 mins and it was on and off till next day. On Monday there was no more bleeding and I didn’t feel it was necessary to either call my dentist or go to an emergency room. The wounds are fine and they are healing naturally as anyone would expect!
So my advice is, if you have sutures in your mouth and you have been put on a specific diet/care instruction, PLEASE follow the instruction. Do not eat anything hard for at least 3 weeks.
Right around Wed the 31st, I noticed there is definitely huge difference btw the placement of each implants. The right sides implant sits a lot lower than the left side implant. Now here is the interesting part. Terino did measure 2 mm asymmetry on the dropdown on the right side. Meaning my right jaw is already sitting lower than the left side. So he suggested going with 8mm on the right side and 10 mm on the left side.
But now the right side is even lower now. I don’t know what could really happened?
1. They might miss match the implants or
2. The right side just placed lowered by accident!
Remember I was worried about my screw incisions not being aligned? Well, Terino said that was done due to aesthetic reasons, well I am not so sure about that anymore!
I also still can’t fully open my mouth, so i am still restricted on what i can chew on! lol
The other thing I am really bothered by is the neck micro lipo, my neck feels very lumpy and still numb in places. Although it’s getting better to touch but I yet to see any improvements!
Overall, my left side is healing better than the right side and I think part of unevenness is due to that.
I am very happy with my Rhino result I think he nailed it both the tip and my breathing. The tip of nose where the majority of worked was done is still swollen and VERY hard, there is definitely swelling on sides but it getting much better!
As for bruising, All it’s left is tiny yellow hallow on my left eye and I think it should be gone by tomorrow.
I’ll continue tomorrow…
I know I’ve been avoiding my blog for almost two weeks. Is just been tough going through the healing process and being busy with work and traveling back and froth to California.
So with no further due, I will tell you how exactly things went once I returned home from Southern California.
Last thing we knew I was a little worried about one the right side implant sutures being open! So I tried to take it easy with food and everything. On Friday the 26th. Me and couple of friends decided to go out of town visiting a mutual friend. Evening started great and we were having a lot of fun (i got a little drunk), next day we had brunch, which I continued with my soft diet! One the way back I laying on the back seats, I felt asleep and when I got up I did have some pain on my right side jaw and I tasted blood. By then we were already back home, I came up with an excuse and left my friend’s house to my place.
I was bleeding semi heavily from my right jaw, Of course I freaked out and immediately called Dr Terino’s emergency phone number! His instruction was do not panic, this is what you should do” go get a 4x4 gauze, roll it up make it wet and placed on top of the wound, put pressure from outside and inside and hold it for at least 30 mins. He asked how long I was post op and he said you should have no worries if the bleeding doesn’t stop just go to an emergency room get some stitches. But I am sure it will stop”. Bleeding stopped after 30 mins and it was on and off till next day. On Monday there was no more bleeding and I didn’t feel it was necessary to either call my dentist or go to an emergency room. The wounds are fine and they are healing naturally as anyone would expect!
So my advice is, if you have sutures in your mouth and you have been put on a specific diet/care instruction, PLEASE follow the instruction. Do not eat anything hard for at least 3 weeks.
Right around Wed the 31st, I noticed there is definitely huge difference btw the placement of each implants. The right sides implant sits a lot lower than the left side implant. Now here is the interesting part. Terino did measure 2 mm asymmetry on the dropdown on the right side. Meaning my right jaw is already sitting lower than the left side. So he suggested going with 8mm on the right side and 10 mm on the left side.
But now the right side is even lower now. I don’t know what could really happened?
1. They might miss match the implants or
2. The right side just placed lowered by accident!
Remember I was worried about my screw incisions not being aligned? Well, Terino said that was done due to aesthetic reasons, well I am not so sure about that anymore!
I also still can’t fully open my mouth, so i am still restricted on what i can chew on! lol
The other thing I am really bothered by is the neck micro lipo, my neck feels very lumpy and still numb in places. Although it’s getting better to touch but I yet to see any improvements!
Overall, my left side is healing better than the right side and I think part of unevenness is due to that.
I am very happy with my Rhino result I think he nailed it both the tip and my breathing. The tip of nose where the majority of worked was done is still swollen and VERY hard, there is definitely swelling on sides but it getting much better!
As for bruising, All it’s left is tiny yellow hallow on my left eye and I think it should be gone by tomorrow.
I’ll continue tomorrow…
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