rememberme123 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Hey Flame, have you made any payment? Maybe you can talk to Dr Shah's nurse and ask if you could see any real life examples of Dr Shah's patients.. If i am not wrong, nurses could possibly make some arrangement to talk or see doctor's past patients.. provided that the patients do no mind. Just tell them your concerns.. and I think they would know where you're coming from? Some patients whose photos are posted online.. maybe you can ask if you could see them or talk to them in person? Chances are slim.. but worth trying. it'd be even better if the nurses in the clinic have actually had surgery done by the surgeon.. and do not mind sharing. Anyway, I have spoken to Dr Shah via email and I think he's really knowledgeable and good.. And patient in replying my endless list of questions.... Do keep us updated yea.. all the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rememberme123 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flame Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Hi rememberme123, Thanks for your helpful suggestions. I did ask him for more pics. He said he will ask his patients for permission. But that was only 1 week ago so perhaps he hasn't had time. After reading your post, I sent him a reminder email for the pics. Dr. Shah was very very patient with all my questions too... I think I sent him 3 emails with lists of questions and he answered each email within 24 hrs. That was a big part of why I decided to go with him... he never made me feel like he was "too important" or "too busy" for questions. I figured that at least he will listen to what I want and give me the nose I want. I am just getting nervous now about his experience. He seems so young! I read that rib cartilage implants are very technique-specific and the surgeon MUST have lots of experience to carve it properly. I don't want to end up with a warped or big fat nose since I live so far away! Yes, I did pay a downpayment so even more nervous about my decision! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 i know people have considered him but havent heard of anyone actually using him. he supposedly left nyc and moved to chicago (dont know why) and probably keeps prices low to attract clients. i checked on a few doctor rating boards and found no mention of him either in nyc and a VERY RECENT poor rating in chicago. you wont like what it says but as its an anonymous board you cant verify how truthful it is. but you may want to contact the poster and try to get details.Dr. Anil Shah - Chicago, IL Doctor Ratings | RateMDs.com you can also call the med licensing boards in nyc and illinois to see if there have been any complaints. i would just say go with your gut. you will regret if you dont follow your gut and something goes wrong. if you did everything you possibly could thats the best you can ask for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy816 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 hey guys.. im considering getting revision rhinoplasty and just started my search... just for background info, im a 25 yr old korean female. i had my first rhinoplasty when i turned 16. i always hated my nose and bugged my mom so much that she took me to a plastic surgeon. i always felt like my nose sort of looked fake since the plast surgeon place the silicone implant so high up on my face that i looked very unnatural from the side.. but it started to bother me SO MUCH MORE recently. i cant stand looking at my side profile in the mirror. it look so fake to me and my family agrees.. i had silicone implant and ear cartilage on my nose tip.. but my bridge starts too high and my tip is so fat and bulky! my two options are: 1. just replace the silicon implant with the gortex implant 2. gortex implant and modify the nose. ( to make is slimmer) today, i went to dr. edward kwak in nyc for consultation. he did computer editing of my nose during consultation and i honestly could not tell if was before or after...so now im wondering.. if there is anything i can do about my fat nose. should i just leave it alone and just get the implant replaced? will alar base reduction or replacing the tip really improve the appearnce of my nose without look superficial? here are some pics of my nose. i really appreciate your advices.. some of you seem so knowledgeable with alot of research on this topic!! thanks alot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 that is a high bridge. did you go to a ps that specializes in asians? i dont think silicone or goretex matter, its just how high the surgeon makes it. some say silicone is easier to shape as goretex you basically stack on top of eash other. i would just recommend that you choose a surgeon that specializes in asian people. they can refine your nose to be race appropriate while keeping you looking asian. its hard to tell by your small photos, but you may want to consider alarplasty. i had it done and it has made all the difference. subtle but with a huge impact if you know what i mean. people cant tell whats different just that its good. from your pic it looks like your bridge goes all the way up to your forehead which is not appropriate for asians. it should end by your upper lid. i would assume by that your ps is not an asian specialist. i went to charles lee in la he does several asian rhinos a week so knows what he is doing. i got 1.5mm silicone for the bridge and alar reduction and am super happy! best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flame Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Hi Sandy816, I completely understand where you are coming from. I also currently have a silicone implant that sits too high up my forehead and looks very fake from my side profile. Even worse, mine was put in 15 years ago (also when I was very very young and naive) and L-shaped (the WORST kind of silicone to get apparently)! As for your decision, the advice I would give to you after much research... PLEASE take note that what I will write is very subjective (data gathered by my own readings...and should not be considered "medical facts"): -SILICONE: ADVANTAGES: can achieve a higher bridge than goretex (if you have a very very low bridge) and can look very natural if placed properly; costs less than other implants; easy to take out and revise if you don't like it in the future DISADVANTAGES: over long term, can cause redness of skin, thinning of aging skin can cause a "shrink wrap" effect (I know you are still young now but you gotta consider how your nose will look when you are old); can show "pinkish" tinge when you are in bright sunlight in your profile view (most people might not notice or care: I notice because I've come to recognize other noses with silicone implants); can move and extrude GORETEX: ADVANTAGE: can blend very nicely with nose and look very natural (especially if the sheets are used); may not achieve a high bridge DISADVANTAGE: can give "whitish" appearance to skin of nose where implant is; can become infected or displaced; natural tissues will grow into it and harder to take out later MEDPOR: ADVANTAGE: can create a strong bridge DISADVANTAGE: hard to take out later: tissues will grow and bond to it; I personally don't think they are soft enough to feel natural (got to handle one during an in-office consult) RIB/EAR CARTILAGE: ADVANTAGE: lowest rate of infection or rejection by body; can achieve very natural results DISADVANTAGE: can warp or curl or displace or get reabsorbed by body ALSO, another word about L-shaped silicone implants: DEFINITELY AVOID: 100% will extrude within 15 yrs (I got lucky) according to one Beverly Hills doc; apparently I-shaped ones are much safer -choose a surgeon that will listen to you and give you lots of time to consult and will respond to your questions -choose a surgeon with expertise in the implant you choose; the various surgeons will have specialised in certain materials -read a lot of forums for what other people are saying and you will find lots of "popular" surgeons names and what research people are finding about their personalities or experiences -choose a surgeon close to you so you can travel to this person after your surgery in case there are complications like swelling,displacement, infection, post-op manipulations that you may need to perform to keep swelling down, etc. (I didn't have much choice in this since I live on a little Island and EVERYTHING is considered "overseas" for me) ANYWAY, GOOD LUCK! I agree that you should get your implant revised, the bridge is too high and long. Do it soon while you are still young and can heal quickly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asin Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 flame and sandy, both of you mentioned having a silicone implant in your nose for a long time (~10 years). what is your opinion on silicone implants? do you feel that it is a safe and reliable material when done correctly (i-shaped implant, placed not too high)? has the appearance of the implant change over the years, such as becoming more shrink wrapped? i'm considering a revision and i'm still trying to decide what material to use - silicone, gortex, or rib. silicone has been around the longest and is the most commonly used, so i feel like maybe it is the best. also, it is easy to remove if anything goes wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rememberme123 Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Hello.. so how's your nose? Has the bridge deswell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flame Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Hi asin, I do find that now I can "see" my silicone implant in that the skin around is a bit pink. Also, when I am standing in direct sunlight, it has a pinkish see-through look where it sits on my bridge. As you age, your skin will shrink wrap around it... but perhaps this happens with all implants??? Not sure about this. The I-shaped implants do seem very safe in terms of extrusion. I don't know much about goretex... maybe you can ask a doc that uses both and get his/her expert medical opinion on both. Good luck! Why are you thinking of revision? How long have you had yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asin Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 hi flame, wow, i never thought that the skin around the implant would be pink. is this due to pain or swelling? or is it just the outline of the implant? is the implant itself pink? when did you start noticing the area being pink? i used to have an i-shaped implant with ear cartilage to the tip, but i took it out after having it in for 6 weeks. it looked very high and unnatural, and it was also slanted. it's been about 7 months since i took the implant out, and my bridge is now wide and blob-ish due to the scar tissue. i'm looking into a revision, possibly with conservative nasal augmentation again, and i can't decide what material to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flame Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 hi asin, The pink skin thing is something that only silcone implants cause. I think it's called "erythema". I only noticed it after 10 years or so (now been 15 years). Easy to cover up with make-up when you are a girl. Not painful and no swelling. I do see the outline of the implant too (especially b/w my eyes) and it's always looked like this because like yours, mine was put in too high but at the time, I was only in my teens and was too scared to ask to get it out and didn't know any better. My personal opinion, autologous tissue will always look more natural... especially if you don't want much augmentation, some docs are good at putting the ear cartilage in the bridge without it warping (or so they say) but perhaps if you choose to go that route, pick surgeon close to you so you can go back and get it revised for free if it does warp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flame Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 Hey everyone, I know there's been a few of you who flew overseas to have your surgery... can some of you please tell me how long your flight was and whether you would advise against taking such a long flight after nose surgery? Did you heal well? How long did you stay in that country before flying back home? I am getting VERY worried about flying a long flight after my surgery and would like some advice... Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pretty-please Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 @ FLAME: I came onto this forum on the advice of a lady on Dr. Shah's staff who suggested online forums... because a trusted friend of mine (a BEST !) is starting to make me really worried about this whole ordeal... She's very untrusting of this whole thing and kind of blew up on me for giving my credit card info online and everything... and well, I'll spare the rest of the "argument's" details for now, haha... But it does mean I'm so damn nervous now too 'cause she's always been... smarter than me, haha. And actually,john1 's posts kind of add to it too, in a different way - and have me worried, but I thank him for trying to keep people informed. My friend's concerns are more about my personal safety and stuff like that. The lady in the office said she was going to forward me contact info for a former patient of Dr. Shah's, but I guess it got busy in the office because I haven't yet recieved anything. When is your surgery date? Mine is booked for late August. I would like to keep in touch with you because I will be flying into Chicago for the procedure too (not from US), and staying for 1 week in the city... Please PM me and we can communicate by e-mail or Skype or something and keep eachother posted... I am so worried and nervous now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jleex02 Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 hey john~ thanks for the advice! it made me feel a bit better because at the time i was just freaking out about my humongous nose. i emailed the surgeon about the height of my implant and am still waiting to hear back on that. and i've been using warm compresses again and it seems to have helped..im just praying that the swelling will continue subsiding as time goes by. Also..do you know if your surgeon.(Dr. Charles Lee) is skilled at revision surgery?? Did your alar base reduction make a substantial difference? b/c mine did not. I was thinking of switching from Gore tex back to silicone bc I like how silicone gives the nose a slimmer look. The Gore tex seriously widened my nose so much. to rememberme123: thanks for asking~ my swelling has gone down somewhat..i am now at the end of 4 weeks post-op. the bridge seems to have settled a little, and it does not look as high from the side. I seriously looked like an elephant in the beginning. -_- My main concern though is the length b/c my nose now takes up the majority of my face..also my new nose is more bulbous than my first nose. (exact opposite of what i wanted) I have linked a pic of my nose...for ppl who have had nose jobs already...does it look like I have more swelling? Or am I stuck with this huge fat nose? Please let me know what you guys think. Thanks in advance. http://i684.photobucket.com/albums/vv210/jleex02/nose1.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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