Commonly Botched Plastic Surgery Procedures

Board certified plastic surgeon Christine Petti, MD is dedicated to consistently delivering quality plastic surgery results through careful attention to detail, procedure customization, and technical excellence. However, it is a sad reality that there are surgeons and cosmetic practitioners in the United States and abroad who prioritize financial gain over the safety, needs, and goals of patients, which can lead to disappointing and even botched cosmetic results. Dr. Petti often performs corrective surgeries for patients with problematic results from prior treatment by another practitioner. She recently discussed which procedures are most commonly botched and why:

• Facelifts and Neck Lifts – Facelifts and neck lifts are very technically difficult procedures to perform, and surgeons sometimes take time-saving shortcuts that affect the quality of the end result. A discounted price on a facelift procedure should be taken as a warning sign.
• Eyelid Lifts – Eyelid lifts can be especially tricky and require advanced anatomical knowledge and experience to perform properly. Eyelid lifts performed on males are notoriously difficult to execute because their skin tends to be heavy and the skin tone of the lower eyelid can be very lax.
• Breast Augmentation – Bleeding, infection, and necrotic tissue can jeopardize health and cause scarring and distortion of the breasts. To save money, discount surgeons in other countries commonly use unsafe, non-FDA approved implants from outside of the US. Typically, these caliber of breast procedures are performed with substandard techniques that result in a disappointing or even disfiguring outcome. In some cases, Dr. Petti has seen large breast implants extruding through incisions.
• Liposuction – Practitioners advertising low prices on liposuction surgery south of the US border in Mexico or in the Middle East commonly perform the procedure using poor technique, which can be devastating. Burns, scar tissue, and poor circulation (especially after large volume liposuction) can create severe distortion of the treated area.
• Injectables – Black-market and non-medical grade injectables can be incredibly dangerous and lead to severe deformities. Dr. Petti warns that there is no benefit to risking your face, body, and health to these mystery substances.

Individuals who are seeking to correct unfavorable cosmetic outcomes are encouraged to contact our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Petti. During this appointment, she can perform a thorough physical examination, discuss concerns and expectations, and evaluate candidacy for corrective procedures.