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July 8, 1999
Melissa R. Schneider, M.D.
170 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA
Dear Dr. Schneider:
Please look at the enclosed pictures. Do you have any idea of the psychological effect
such sagging, stretched skin might have on a person's overall health? Many people think
this is nerve damage. Of course, we both know it is not. Skin must have to be seriously
compromised to stretch a mouth downward like that and pull down the entire lower part of my face, don't you think?
Since you and your "expert" mentors believe it is impossible for skin to stretch from the
swelling of the rhinoplasty, how about an educated guess as to how my face got this way?
I trusted you to the point where I refused to believe you could be wrong when you told
me "the chances of my facelift stretching were as likely as a traffic light turning purple
instead of red." Do you remember that analogy? I remember it as if you spoke those
words yesterday. I remember you telling me NOT to put a compression bandage under
my chin when I called you to say I thought I should do so before the swelling
got worse. I trusted you so much that I refused to follow my own common sense and
instinct. When my camera didn't work, I didn't bother to make sure I had pictures of that
swelling because I wanted to believe you when you said "I promise you it will not ruin
your facelift".
You could have taken pictures when I saw you one and two weeks after the surgery, but
you did not. The first pictures I have post-op were taken 3 1/2 weeks later and there is
still a significant degree of swelling, but nothing like I had when I saw you a week post op.
This is what I get for being a good patient. This is what I get for my blind and thoughtless trust. That was quite a lesson in slick talking that you were given by Dr. May when I met with you and him last May. I must have the only facelift on earth that has created more sagging skin that I had before surgery. Perhaps you can just focus on what a nice job you did on my nose and disregard the rest. I certainly wish I could do that as well. However, the sensation of having your flesh hanging off your face like dead meat is not something one can ignore.
If you've learned anything from this, I hope it is NOT the example displayed by Dr. May at our last meeting.
Sincerely,
Lucille Iacovelli
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