Proof of my first complaint appears on my phone bill.
Surgery was on Jan 28, 1998. I was discharged from MGH the next day and expressed concern regarding the swelling of both eyes almost closed shut. Remember, I had lower bleph on 11/24/97.
Reference: Ammar-Khodja A. [Some cases of palpebral cutis laxa after rhinoplasties] J Fr Otorhinolaryngol Audiophonol Chir Maxillofac. 1979 Feb;28(2):103-4. French.
I had this paper translated. The article features patients who suffered severe laxity of skin around the eyes as a result of post rhinoplasty edema.. These were patients who had NOT had blephroplasty only 8 weeks prior to nose jobs. Imagine the increased fragility of tissue involved in recent surgery.. the perfect stage for weakening from edema triggered by breaking of nasal bones.
My phone bill shows:
1/29/98 6:54pm Boston MA 617 726 2066 1:01 min
(left message w/ resident on call re: swelling of face)
1/30/98 9:15am " " " "" 2760 8:08 min
(spoke to Dr. Schneider. expressed concern re: severe edema spreading down face into neck. Asked if I should use compression bandage under chin to prevent further stretching and swelling. Expressed my fear that massive swelling was ruining my facelift. She told me NOT to use bandage and would call Dr. Feldman. She offered to see me in the clinic but said there was nothing she could do anyway, and it would only mean traveling when I was only a few days post op. I agreed it would be inconvenient and uncomfortable, and did not want to bother anyone to drive me if not absolutely
necessary.
1/30/98 3:45 pm Boston MA 617 726 2760
1/30/08 2:30 pm " " " "
1/31/98 8:14 am " " " " :46
1/31/98 1:11 pm " " " " :25
1/31/98 1:13 pm " " " 8554 :10
1/31/98 1:14 pm " " " 2760 1:34
1/31/98 1:32 pm " " " 2066 1:34
These calls reflect messages I left for Dr. Schneider to return my call. The swelling got worse and by day 2 post op my jowl was wider than the widest part of my face/head. My mouth was huge and pulling down with edema. Edema was "detaching" the adhesion of the new facelift, stretching all undermined areas of the face and neck like a water filled balloon I KNEW my face was stretched beyond any capacity to go back to its normal state. The skin was totally detached from the tissue beneath. I could feel the dermis layer detached from the SMAS layer which was also detached from the deep muscles.
Before the rhinoplasty I still could not open my mouth enough to use an adult toothbrush, nor could I take a bite of food, but had to sort of push little pieces of food in between my teeth, as the facelift was dissected down to the nasolabial and the newly forming adhesion prevented me from opening my mouth more than just a little. This was normal and even desirable, as it indicated the extended dissection and of course, I was careful not to force my mouth open. I was not able to have dental x-rays at Tufts one week prior to rhinoplasty because I could not open my mouth to accommodate the film holder.
Yet the day after the rhinoplasty my mouth opened wide.. all the spetal attachments between tissue planes were broken, stretched, with edema tracking into the planes of least resistance. This caused permanent stretching/damage of tissue planes separated under high pressure introduction of tumescent solution injected via canula. It doesn't take a genius mentality to identify the biomechanics behind the "stretchy skin" Dr. Feldman, facelift specialist, blames for my sagging face (the sagging which, out of one corner of his mouth he claims I never had and out of the other blames on my "stretchy skin".)
Dr. Schneider called on 1/31, after having spoken to Dr. Feldman, repeated the order that I should NOT apply a bandage under my chin or anywhere else. Her EXACT words: "I PROMISE your facelift will not fall" and "it is impossible"..and "There is about as much chance of your facelift stretching as there is of a traffic light turning purple rather than red". She then informed me she was leaving for the weekend and would not be available. At this point she seemed annoyed with my calls and tried to convince me there was nothing to be concerned about.
Now comes the first post-op visit. She has the flu or bad cold and I felt real sympathy for this overworked doctor. ( I have ALWAYS been sympathetic and understanding of how hard they work... That sympathy DIED after being the object of their DECEIT. ) Photo of Dr. Schneider's progress notes, which took over TWO YEARS to obtain from MGH, appear on these links:
http://groups.msn.com/LosingFace/drfeldmansstrangeevidence.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=774
http://groups.msn.com/LosingFace/drfeldmansstrangeevidence.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=772
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These notes are irrefutable PROOF that my complaints were IMMEDIATE, and not delayed, as stated in Dr. Feldman's complaint.
