Hi Karen,
I had my surgery May 2nd so I am 4 weeks post op. Here is my story:
I am a healthy 66 year-old man. I had a neck lift and upper & lower eyelid blepharoplasty. My surgeon has thirty years experience and is known to be quite skilled. I also had the complication of a golf ball sized Hematoma in my neck just below my right jaw line. The hematoma was drained 4 times. I am now five weeks post surgery and while my cosmetic results improve each week and I look better and fresher than my pre surgery appearance I still do not look or feel anywhere near normal enough for public exposure.
Clearly, I am headed for an acceptable cosmetic result at some point in the weeks ahead. I still have confidence in my surgeon. But I am severely shaken by my post surgical recovery experience. My healing and recovery did not go by the “the book”. I was told to expect the significant and serious swelling & bruising that would dissipate in 2 – 3 days. In 2 to 3 weeks the rest would almost completely disappear to the point that no one would be able to tell that I had surgery and I would feel “close to normal”. The reality was quite different.
That reality is that noticeable and painful swelling, soreness, bruising, and tenderness remains even at week five. The pain and swelling is particularly noticeable at the hematoma site. While the hematoma has reduced in size by about 70% - 75% but a tender & sore swelling can be felt and seen on my neck. Some light shadow of bruising remains. I have some slight but noticeable lumpiness (probably seroma fluid) around my neck on the non hematoma side. The hematoma drain site still oozes a bit and stings. My eyes have healed quite a bit but are still slightly bloodshot with slightly thickened upper eyelids. A bit too much upper eyelid shows giving me a tiny bit of a “different / odd look”. I suffer from pronounced and uncomfortable dry eye. I cannot feel my neck & face when I shave. I have disconcerting sensations in the deeper tissues of my neck like much like a belt strap is fastened deep inside ear to ear. My ears are always numb. Sleeping continues to cause some minor discomfort. Worst of all I still have enough post surgical swollenness around the eyes and in the neck that people can tell, if they look carefully, that I don’t look quite normal just yet. I feel disconcerting sensations and tingling deep in my neck tissues. Furthermore, the overall trauma of the surgery & recovery left me drained and vulnerable emotionally.
I expect a full recovery and satisfactory cosmetic outcome in the 6 to 8 months ahead. However, I want to express my disappointment in the vast majority (99%) plastic surgery industry websites that I visited during my recovery period. They all depict a rosy scenario regarding recovery times and fail completely to mention the significant emotional vulnerability that follows surgery. These rosy scenarios regarding recovery all say the exact same thing: “In 2 -3 days the worst of the swelling is gone and by weeks 2 and 3 you are virtually fully recovered. Only some very slight healing will remain for the weeks past 2 and 3.” These numbers 2 to 3 days and 2 to 3 weeks are on every website. It's as if there were an unwritten rule to use them. These websites also do not speak a word about the very real prospect of extended recoveries lasting six weeks to several months and they will not speak at all to the incredible sense of vulnerability and “being knocked off your feet” that comes with the surgical trauma (at least for many).
I believe that the industry could do its customers a great service and raise the level of their integrity by including a couple of extra paragraphs conveying vital information about the very real possibility of extended recovery and emotional vulnerability after major surgery. I hope to hear from those who may have experienced recoveries.
Hello guest etc,
I'm 8 days out of nl/fl. Less than 48 hours out of surgery my cheek and neck started to swell at an alarming speed. Very painful. I can't overemphasize how dramatic it was. Went to ER. It was a small hospital and they were flummoxed. My neck and cheek were huge, my lip bulging. They airlifted me out. The surgeon drained it, a hematoma. I can't imagine I'm going to want to show my face in 2weeks like I was anticipating. I'm glad to be alive, felt ashamed at first. My face. My face is very tight and numb with a band on my neck. pretty uncomfortable. Phew! Very shaky feeling inside. Worried about the helicopter bill. $30,000 they say.
Yes, I had a necklift 3 years ago, and now I see hematomas on my neck under the skin. I called my surgeon and he wants to see me ASAP! Immediately after the surgery I had none. This has just recently happened it seem overnight. I hope that I don't have to undergo another surgery. I hope he could drain them. I will keep you posted.
What ended up happening with your hematoma? I am 2 weeks post op neck lift and I am sure I have one. My right side of my neck is hurting and has a large bump. Also the right side of my face has a dent in it now. I also had fillers and a lazer which were nothing compared to my neck lift. I cant believe what a big deal it is.
hi, i developed hematoma too on both. sides and i had to drain it every day for twoweeks. then it stopped,but my face became harder and i can see lumps where the hematomas is. my face looks so much thicker now. i was not prepared for this and i dont know whats going to happen. my dr hasnt returned my calls. i should be seeing him next week. im so desperate. i am never gonna leave the house again...how have you healed? hope well...
you are absolutely right!!! i developed hematomas too, and had to govdrain them for two week. when things seemed to get better, the spaces where the fluid was got filled up with either blood clots or scar tissue so nowcmy face is hard and thick. my dr wont even return my calls. annoying!
hi karen, i too developed hematomas and had to drain them for two weeks. my face looked nice and slim after draining. then the draining stopped, but my face became harder and i see lumps where they drained and now my face is round and hard! i am so desperate! my surgeon is in becerly hills and comes to ny only once a month. hes coming ext wek, but in the meantime he asn't returned my calls...
Thank you, your an angel your words speak the truth and have calmed my nerves. 10 days after and healing nicely. All the best XO
karen, i am having the same problem. i developed hematoma on both cheeks. now when i laugh i look like a chipmunk bc of scar tissue. pls tell me if yours went away. dr said six months with steroid injections and ultrasound (starting ultrasound tomorrow). please let me know...hope u are well. how unlucky we are..
I had a neck lift also and after 3 days i was in icu i was in very bad condition after 1 trip to or in the Dr. office and my blood level dropping to 6.6 the hospital was the best place to be. I am healing well the worst is the tube lines around my neck with massaging and oils still no effect :( My 1 friend said when are they taking the tubes from your neck and i told her there are no tubes in my neck uff... i hope they go away.
hi Sandy, i have the same thing and i am almost five weeks post op. did the soft lump go away? the hardness is probably scarring, i have a lot becausr i ad hematoma and i got a kenalog injection every six weeks and i am doing the ultrasound for it. i am very depressed because i didnt really need a facelift. i wanted to take out some permanent filler but he said my skin would e stretched after removal so i got the facelift along with it. now i have this soft lump and scar tissue
Hi,
I had my neck and lower half facelift 17 days ago. I have a hematoma (hard) on both cheeks in front of my ears going to the jaw line. Its not very visible no pain. Dr. said no need aspiration as its kinda flat and nothing will come out. Im worried because it seems in the comments of drs. on websites I read hematoma need aspiration. My dr. is very qualified certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon. He laughs whenever i freak out by all the comments I read. I even ask him to bring a syringe to aspirate. He has seen me 3x in my house since my operation. He said 40% of this hard swelling will go away in another 7 days. and the rest in 6 weeks to 2 months gradually. The dark bluish color is almost gone. Has anyone had hematoma in this chat that disappeared eventually with no aspiration? Is it normal to have hematoma after plastic surgery?
MC
thank you. It is very reassuring. Ive had neck and mid facelift 17 days ago. When I read comments here on hematoma in front of the ears it scares me since I have hardness and tightness in that area. The swelling subsided on the 4rth day onward. Up to today though this hard almost flat hematoma is still there. Dark bluish color is gone. I get headaches once in awhile probably this is part of the downside while healing. My dr. is very reassuring. He just says "time". I asked him to aspirate because this is my biggest worry. He says no need nothing will come out. Let it be absorbed by your body. He said just to put warm compress and massage to help the body absorb. Ive been moving around and have told people had a cyst removed to explain the incision under my chin;-)
Guest great post. I can so relate to your situation. You are so right about the industry deception in the recovery process. Are they above the law? Whatever happened to "informed consent"? I'm actually wondering who did my surgery and suspect it was an intern rather than the pricy Board Certified surgeon, past President of the Board, and voted one of the top surgeons in the nation the last 9 years, etc. as how could things go so wrong. I had a mid-face/neck lift and lower eye lift. Left upper eyelid was pulled down changing the shape & reducing the size of the eye and it has a nasty scar. Right lower eyelid pulled down, enlarging the eye. My eyes are terrible!!! There is soooo much I could say about what's wrong with the face/neck lift, but most importantly is: I can't move my neck, or hold my head in it's normal position so have neck & back pain so can't sit at desk long & I can't drive, I can't work. I'm 58 single, and after being out of work and having $0 income the last 1.5 years due to a brain aneurysm, I need to work! I am literally just sick over this. When the Dr. removed the drains (ouch!) I immediately developed a large hematoma thru out the area under my chin & down my neck. The Dr. did nothing to treat this, just saying be patient, it'll go away. 2nd opinion: possible crack vertebrae from being mishandled on operating table, get MRI & lots of scar tissue so referral to a physical therapist.