This is the official statement from Dr Bart van de Ven and his team as a reaction to the post of Mona Maier https://www.reddit.com/r/Transgender_Surgeries/comments/emp72a/alert_experience_forehead_reconstruction_2pass_vd/ .

We want to reach out because we can’t let someone instil fear in people/patients with threats and false accusations. Patients are forever and always free to not be happy with their results and to write about their experience, but this is much more than that. This is a case of blackmail and defamation because of personal interests. There is so much false information in the initial post that we feel we have to set it straight with the facts, in the protection of current and future patients.

1. Mona Maier works for Facial Team and blackmailed Dr Bart van de Ven

The first fact is that Mona Maier, the person representing the patient in this case, blackmailed us demanding 12,000 euros or she would slander Dr Bart van de Ven’s name online (see email: https://imgur.com/a/Z8DVB4r ).

Translated in English the email says:

"Dr. van de Ven,

I hereby give you the last opportunity to pay the amount of 12 000.00 into my account - which you are aware of - as compensation and compensation for pain and suffering within 7 working days.

Your ridiculous answer is not worth the letters.

If you are not able to pay the compensation, I will immediately use all channels to publicize your fraudulent actions and misleading presentation of your surgery on your website, to the general public, including the print media, not to mention the setup of your company."

​

We did not comply since we do not have anything to hide, and the claims on which the blackmail was based are false. We consulted with our own lawyers, who send a warning to Mona Maier. We informed her that legal action would be taken for the fact of blackmail and slander since that is simply not okay.

Mona Maier works for FacialTeam (and other clinics and surgeons), as a liaison for German-speaking people to promote their services. She accompanies German-speaking patients to Facial Team in Spain. As you can see here: https://www.srs-in-thailand-begleitung.com/blank-i997o , below the posts she also wrote to defame us. This is a blog post in which she defames 2pass Clinic to then promote FacialTeam, who seem to have people working for them everywhere to seemingly influence patients who are in a very fragile position.

The patient in question was totally happy with her surgery until she met Mona Maier in Thailand. She even was in the process of arranging for a second operation (see email: https://imgur.com/a/pHQ6zQG ). 4 months postop during her consultation with Dr Bart van de Ven she was also very happy. The patient got very beautiful and naturally feminine results, she had her pictures and testimonial online on our website with amazing reactions for months until now. She chose to agree to have them online because she was so happy. You can see for yourself and hear tell how happy she is in the 4 months postop video: https://2pass.clinic/en/before-and-after/detail/8 (you can put English subtitles on).

It is only after she met Mona Maier in Thailand, who works for Facial Team, the blackmailing began. This all because she made a CT scan in Thailand where bone cement was visible (a coincidental finding, she had no sinus problems). The forehead reconstruction type III she had is the one all patients of Dr van de Ven have had since a few years with good results.

2. The patient did indeed get a Type III forehead reconstruction done, not a Type IV . The proposal of the patient clearly mentions they can always use bone cement during the type III procedure (this cannot be overlooked by the patient since the patient is obliged to read everything before she would be able to agree, sign an informed consent, and go through with the surgery). This is mentioned in writing in the proposal the patient received after her initial consultation.

Type IV surgery means they use some more cement (as addition to the Type III) to fill the dent that is present in such patients. This patient did not have this, it was 100% a type III. It was performed legio artis, like Dr Bart van de Ven ALWAYS performs this and will continue to do so.

Other than that, there is an entire paragraph dedicated to mentioning bone cement on the webpage Mona Maier links to, which would be quite hard to miss since it is the first thing that is mentioned when you read about the Type 3:

“Type 3 brow bone reduction—Forehead reconstruction =>

The forehead recontouring procedure we perform the most (since it is indicated most) is called the ‘type III’ procedure by Dr Ousterhout. During this procedure, the anterior wall of the frontal sinus bone is removed, remodelled and put back. Sometimes it is necessary to use a combination of forehead reconstruction and some filling with bone cement to get the desired forehead shape. Dr Bart van de Ven uses the bone cement more and more often to get the exact result he wants.” Much like Mona advises, please do go and take a look at the website so you can read it yourself https://2pass.clinic/en/ffs/procedures/brow-bone-reduction .

Furthermore, Dr Bart van de Ven always explains how the surgery will be performed, and with which materials, on the consultation as well as going into even further detail the day before the operation.

The frontal sinus in women is generally smaller than the one in men, reducing the sinus does not have any negative effect on the physique of a patient whatsoever. There are no patients that now have a “dysfunctional sinus”, and no health problems regarding sinuses can stem from this type of surgery.

3. Dr Bart van de Ven is a registered Maxillofacial surgeon.

You can find his diploma here: https://imgur.com/a/qC6wjZH . He is registered in Belgium. Dr Bart van de Ven has obtained the following degrees: medicine, dentist and maxillofacial surgeon (you have to study dentistry as well to become a maxillofacial surgeon.

This is a very unfortunate, and even more so, a very imprudent accusation as Facial Team actually does have a surgeon (Dr Simon) who is only allowed to work as a dentist in Europe. He has only obtained a diploma as a dentist and after oral surgery in Brazil. He is not a medical doctor, he has not ever obtained any medical diploma. He can only perform oral surgery in Brazil, but definitely no FFS anywhere. As their own website mentions, the only degree he obtained in Europe is one in dentistry. He did not obtain any certificate from his presence at the Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Surgery of the Eeuwfeestkliniek in Antwerp and has not performed surgeries there either, because it would have been illegal.

That the Royal Belgian Society of Plastic Surgeons (RBSPS) doesn‘t have a member/ registration by the name of Dr. van de Ven is very logic: Dr Bart van de Ven is not a plastic surgeon, but a maxillofacial surgeon. He is a member of the professional association of maxillofacial surgeons in Belgium. In our opinion maxillofacial surgeons are to be preferred over plastic surgeons for FFS, as work on the bone level is at the core of it.

Dr Ellen Defrancq has studied general medicine but has never studied to become a surgeon, let alone that she’d be a plastic surgeon. She is simply the manager of the clinic, as mentioned on our website. But what that has to do with the case is not clear to us.

We feel very grateful for those who take the time to read all of the information and use their critical mind. You can contact us in case of doubt or further questions (message us here or e-mail us at [[ info@2passclinic.com ](mailto: info@2passclinic.com )](mailto:[ info@2passclinic.com ](mailto: info@2passclinic.com )) ).