so I took a job with amazon a little over a year ago intending to use their insurance to get my ffs covered. it took me until nov 1st, but I finally made it and had my surgery, only to be completely underwhelmed and disappointed and ashamed by my result. now that the swelling has begun to go down, I look almost indistinguishably the same as I did pre-op. I hate it. it feels awful. I put so much work and pain and money and time into this, I totally put my life on hold only to get basically nothing in return which, honestly, I should've expected. I look just like the man I looked like a month ago, and feel more dysphoric and self-loathing than I have probably since I started my transition. I supposedly had a type 3 forehead, orbital contouring, rhinoplasty, lip lift, fascia transfer to lips and a tracheal shave, but it's all so subtle as to have been basically pointless. my grandparents who have seen me every frequently and regularly through my life couldn't even tell that id had surgery on thanksgiving.... wtf? I know you're not supposed to complain until like, 3 to 6 months post-op because of microswelling or soft tissue or something, but honestly that sounds like total bullshit to me and like it's a CYA statement from scam artist surgeons. I liked my face best at about 2 weeks post op bc the swelling made my face look softer and rounder and made makeup easier to apply, but every day I get closer and closer to my pre-op baseline and it's horrifying to watch that happen. I feel so damaged by this; please just take my word at what im saying, my irl friends basically agree that it's shockingly subtle, im too ashamed to post my face here.
Major disappointment and depression one month post-op w/ Rolfes
Do yourself the favor of waiting a minimum of 8 months to judge. Then compare a new set of photos to the pre-op photos. If your still can't see any feminizing let the Dr. know and let this community know too. BTW post-op depression is real and not uncommon. You are healing more every day.
Yeah, post op depression is awful 😖
Hi, i got surgery with dr Rossi and now i am 4 months post op. Now i am starting to notice the changes. I was despressed as well. Hang there and give it time. Then compare with your pre-op pictures People Who see you often have the hard time to notice changes Hope you get better
Dr. Rolfes does some of the best bone work I've ever seen alongside Mardi Keo and DB. Give it time. Ive seen girls get FFS in places like Mexico and still look the same
What about Jumaily?
But do you think it might be all in your head? (No pun intended)
I’d say wait. My surgery with Rolfes is next June and he told me not to even expect to go back to work for a month due to swelling and bruising, my surgery is going to be on two separate days.
As a former FFS patient of his, I agree with you that his work can be very subtle. This can feel like a positive or negative, depending on what you’re starting with. And if you’re quite thin like me, the initial swelling in certain parts of your face can actually be pleasing. So when that goes away, it can be really disappointing. Either way, try to wait longer before making a final verdict. It may help to take pictures focusing on specific areas of your face and comparing to what it looked like before. Even though I’m not 100% satisfied with my forehead, comparing the photos of before and after definitely helped me see the difference in my side profile.
did you tell him you wanted more of a natural finish? I have a consult with him soon but really want to get across to him that I want more of an aggressive approach.
I didn’t. He asked what bothered me about my face and I told him, and then he made his recommendations. It never hurts to consult so you can hear what he thinks. But if you believe you need aggressive work done, I’d suggest also consulting with a surgeon who is known for giving those types of results.
I am 1 year and 4 months post op since having my surgery with Dr. Rolfes and honestly, yeah, his work is pretty fucking subtle. I had all of the same procedures except for the lip lift and tracheal shave, and I paid for my surgery entirely out of pocket. I had type 3 forehead, orbital contouring, a sliding genioplasty, jaw reduction, and finally a rhino + septoplasty, yet most people legit have no idea I had (supposedly) extensive facial surgery. Also, 2 weeks post op the deviation in my nose recurred. Moreover, I noticed that there was cartilaginous tissue protruding within my right nostril, which also inhibits my ability to breath. I did want a revision, but I just couldn’t justify it. Not after basically flushing away 20k 😆. No thanks; I’ll be finding a different surgeon.
EDIT: I just wanted to add that the swelling right after the surgery did make my face look softer and rounder, which was really nice. Sadly though, the wrinkles on my forehead started coming back and everything went back to baseline (as you put it).
Yeah, same story. I look like trash, no one noticed I had surgery, and also have some bit of flesh that's been hanging off of the end of my septum. I totally regret the entire past year of my life that I solely devoted to this and it's insane the amount of trans women here and elsewhere who are trying to gaslight me into thinking it's ok. I don't want to completely write off Rolfes because I've seen some truly amazing results with him, but of course I wasn't meant to be one.
go to therapy. you are still swollen, you aren't botched, i was ready for a true horror story. post op depression is real
I know you're panicked right now and trying to figure out what happened but swelling is a real phenomenon and you likely won't see end results until 6-13 months (depending on your body) reach out to Dr. Rolfes and share your concerns.
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