I am writing this review 5 weeks post op from FFS from Dr Mardirossian. Hoping this can provide some insight into those who are looking at FFS surgeons.

Dr Mardirossian and his staff are exceptionally kind and gracious. They answered all my questions and kept me on track and informed for the entire process. His reputation is well earned as he is very knowledgeable and experienced in his practice. I did my research, spoke with three different surgeons before deciding on him. The main deciding factor for me was that his brow work is excellent. With my protruding brow being my biggest source of dysphoria, I decided to select him for his FFS services.

I trusted his judgement with his recommendations on which procedures would provide the best FFS outcome and I couldn’t be happier. I had a list of specific questions to ask him during both of my consultations with him and he answered them with great confidence and detailed explanations. He is a subject matter expert who is leaving his mark on the practice of facial surgery. His dedication to the continuing training of his craft was evident in his responses which made me confident I was in great hands.

The surgery went smoothly and the follow up consultations put me at ease with his careful and thorough inspection of the incision sites. His office provided post operation care instructions that were clear and effective.

I have no regrets in my decision to go with Dr Mardirossian. His expertise has allowed me to move forward with my life in a profoundly positive way. I am happy to answer any questions.

FFS tips and advice from my experience

Prepare for the operation months in advance: Make sure to get plenty of exercise in, core workouts will help keep your back from getting strained from elevated sleeping positions. Cardio exercises will help with inflammation and blood flow .

Follow the doctors pre operative instructions: Follow all the directions the doctor provides!!!! It is very important to following the diet guidelines the last few days before operation as you do not want any anesthesia interactions or to trigger any excessive inflammation or to have a diet that triggers excess bleeding during the operation. It’s a good idea to plan your diet carefully the last 72 hours before operation so everything will be optimal for the big day.

I was careful to follow the dietary guidelines up until I absentmindedly drank a beet and carrot smoothie less than 18 hours before the operation. Since beets have vasodilator effects, I was bleeding heavier than normal during the operation which makes the surgeons task more complex. Don’t put yourself in that situation and give your surgeon the best possible conditions to work.

Try to walk as much as you can post op: You don’t want to strain yourself , you want to be resting but the benefits of short walks on circulation, inflammation and mood are noticeable.

Continue to focus on diet post op: You can further reduce inflammation with a well planned diet, make sure you are getting plenty of protein, fats and carbs while staying well hydrated and keeping sodium content to a minimum. Your lips and mouth are going to be swollen and sore so baby spoons with a good blender are your best tools during the first week. Pineapple has excellent anti inflammatory effects plus high vitamin C , you should try to consume a half cup a day for the first week.

Be prepared for the mental and emotional recovery from FFS: For me, the mental and emotional recovery was the hardest part of FFS. The initial swelling can cause horrid feelings of disgusting revulsion in the first week, there is going to be some post anesthesia negativity and feelings that you will have to work through. The negative emotions are not the only difficultly though, the excitement of having a new lease on life with a new face to present your best self can shorten your patience. The desire to get out there and live your best life can be very frustrating while your body is still recovering. Give yourself time and be patient , you will have plenty of time to do all the living in the world but you need to focus on having an optimal recovery. Do not let short sighted impatience degrade the future results. Be kind and gentle to yourself, plan some strategies to help you cope and get your support network in place before hand to have systems in place to help you work through all the emotions that are gonna come your way.

BPC-157 for recovery

After doing research on peptides and obtaining some BPC-157 from a plastic surgeons office. I decided to begin 200mcg(20 units/1ml syringe) daily subQ injections of BPC-157 about 10 days post op. The surgeon I obtained it from said I could begin right after surgery (he advised he has his face lift patients do this without issue). I consulted with Dr Mardirossian who cautioned he wouldn’t recommend starting it right after surgery. I followed his recommendation. Due to the significant swelling that occurs from FFS, I decided to wait 10 days post op to allow the natural inflammation process to run its course. I noticed a difference in the swelling and soreness from the first dose of BPC-157, I believe it helped with inflammation and swelling . I feel it accelerated my recovery pace. It is not without side effects however, I noticed increased anxiety and some anhedonia that cleared up once I finished my 25 day cycle.