My journey
This picture is me in happier times - before 2022 surgery and resulting facelift problems from plastic surgery performed by Dr. Lyos in Houston, Texas.
I felt compelled to share a very painful and personal experience in the hopes that my experience and advice will save at least one other person years of pain and suffering.
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Copyright 2024 Not Lying About Lyos
A Little Background
A couple of years ago, I reached a decision to undergo a "mini" facelift. A couple of my friends had successfully done it - they looked wonderful and were happy with the results. I knew I didn’t want anything radical and I did a lot of reading/research before I made the decision - as should you. A lower facelift is not insignificant surgery, even when it goes well.
At my initial consultation for cosmetic surgery with Dr. Lyos, I explained that I was seeking a natural look with only enough tightening to turn the clock back a few years. ​My training and personality lends itself to lots of research and “data” before making an important decision, and this situation was no exception. Dr. Lyos’ credentials were impressive with advertised triple board certification, and I trusted that he would do a good job. The risks of the surgery as he described them did not include the horrific outcomes I experienced.
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Advice #1 - Make Sure the Doctor Hears Your Concerns
During our pre-surgery consultation, I described aspects of my personal health history that might impact success - including a serious dry skin condition. He seemed unconcerned, even dismissive, which I now interpret as possibly too busy to hear me and consider the impact.
Pre-surgery
The surgery was scheduled for late November 2022 - the week following Thanksgiving - and a busy time of year for surgeries of this type from what I’m told. I was physically and mentally ready for the big day, having taken medications for weeks to prepare my body - and dreaming about the great results I expected.
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Coincidentally there was a bad storm in the Houston area two days before my scheduled surgery, and local officials announced a “boil water ban" in the area. This concerned me and I called Dr. Lyos to discuss my concerns. The staff put my mind at ease saying all precautions would be taken and urged me to go through with the surgery, saying I would have to wait 4 months for another date and go through all preparation (and costs) all over again.
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Advice #2 - Don’t Let the Doctor or Staff Pressure You
Given the situation, I felt pressured to keep my surgery on the planned date and go through with surgery despite water safety concerns in the Houston area. Looking back, I should have waited a few weeks or months or insisted on a clean water plan… as you will see, it cost me much, much more in terms of my health, time, and money.
The Surgery
The day of the surgery was a bit of a blur. I was nervous but comfortable that I would be well cared for. My surgery took about 8 hours, as Dr. Lyos' staff indicated it would. I opted to spend the first night in their surgical center - to be extra safe.
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Looking back at the prep before they put me under anesthesia, I didn’t notice any special precautions being taken to compensate for contaminated water. At the time, I was more focused on anesthesia risks than contaminated water risks.
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The first couple of days at home were painful but I had expected extreme discomfort. My face was mostly covered with bandages until I returned to Dr. Lyos’ office 3 days later. When he removed the post-surgical bandage, he and his nurse immediately seemed concerned. The skin was “bubbling” as he described it. This was the first indication something had gone terribly wrong.
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Advice #3 - Firmly Voice Any Concerns, Even Though You May Not be the Expert
Looking back, I should not have assumed the medical professionals would take all necessary precautions with the water. I should have demanded to know details that would ensure I was not exposed to bacterial contamination from water during the cosmetic surgery.
The Results
“Bubbling” was Dr. Lyos' term for the results, but at least 2-3 other doctors who saw me (or pictures of me) in the first few weeks following surgery, diagnosed it as necrosis - a term that means the tissue has died. I came to learn this condition is extremely serious - well beyond a cosmetic concern.
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In the month of December, my face got progressively more grotesque as the problem progressed. I returned to Dr. Lyos’ office every few days at his urging and he experimented with a variety of treatments while repeatedly telling me he didn’t know what had happened during the surgery.
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Fast forward to today ... in the last 24 months, I have undergone many, many painful procedures and paid many thousands of dollars for treatments to repair the damage - and I’m still on the journey.
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My hopes of a lovely, younger-looking face are long gone. After the last 2 years, I have given up the idea of my face even being "normal-looking". I have given up the idea that I will ever wear my hair up again. I have given up the idea that my face will ever be anything but horribly scarred. ​
A Final Word
Final Advice - Select the Doctor Carefully and Understand All the Risks
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I felt confident I knew Dr. Lyos’ credentials, but I didn’t really understand his overburdened workload and the credentials of his surgical staff (and still don't). I now understand these are factors to be considered along with his pedigree.
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As patients, we are regularly presented with legal documents describing risks of a given surgery but your worst nightmare may be a risk or outcome not even mentioned in the legal documents.
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Tragically, I now understand one of the biggest risks of this elective surgery is a lifelong deformity on multiple parts of my face and neck.
I hope that my journey will help others to avoid the same fate.
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