A little background: I transitioned at 18 years old in the early 90s. I had a few nips and tucks over the years and passing was never an issue. I had my chin filed down in 2004 by a well known ffs doctor in Chicago. He did a good job but it was slightly uneven. Still passing was never an issue, beyond that I was always considered very stunning and people would gasp in disbelief when they heard of my past being transsexual. Any surgeries I had done were done very well as looked extremely natural as if nothing was done at all.
So in 2014 I decided to have the slight unevenness revised on my chin. I decided to go to Dr. Jeffery Spiegel. He was supposedly known for giving slight yet natural results. As I stated passing wasn't an issue, I didn't want to look like someone else, but I wanted someone experienced with chin surgery beyond a standard surgeon, so Dr. Spiegel seemed like the right choice.
I had a face to face consult with him told him I wanted to fix the slight unevenness and while he was in there to tapper my jaw to blend smoothly into my chin. I paid my deposit and booked surgery 2 months later. I paid the balance due in the interim. I was then contacted by the office asking if I could change my surgery date to a week later. I already had planned for a friend to go along with me and she took the time off work. I asked my friend if the new date worked and she changed her schedule. I emailed the office to get a reply back that something came up and could I move it ahead yet another week. In total this happened 3 times, my friend was beyond upset.
So mid February was the date. My friend and I arrived in Boston. I went to Dr. Spiegel's office the day prior to surgery. I was greeted by a female resident and asked several questions as to what I was looking to achieve ect. In talking I stated I generally use fillers in my cheeks, she said of would you like me to put some in today. I was a little taken aback as I was scheduled for surgery the following day. Soon after I was greeted by a girl who worked in the office, in talking she told me about a laser she did and asked if I wanted to do it today also. I don't know but I started to felt like I was in a used car lot not a surgeons office. I was finally greeted by Dr. Spiegel he and his female resident looked over my face and he pointed things out to her. We chatted he asked a few questions and was only in the room for 5 minutes and said I would see him tomorrow at the hospital.
The next morning we went to the hospital early. Came out of surgery and I don't remember much. I went back to my hotel and rested. Saw Dr. Spiegel the following day, and left town a few days later. I got home I followed all post op instructions I didn't leave the house much for the first month as I was very swollen.
Over the next few months the swelling went down a great deal. As the swelling went down I could start to see a lot of unevenness. At 4 months post op I went back to Boston with my concerns. I was not happy at all. I had lumps, bumps and dents. Unevenness, was numb and talking was difficult. Dr Spiegel said I was still healing and I would be fine, to wait 9 months come back and we could address any concerns.
I waited 9 months and still all the same problems were there. Lumps, bumps and dents. Uneven beyond words. Before surgery I hadn't looked like I done anything to my face, now after surgery I didn't look like I had cosmetic work done but more like I had some sort of trauma, like I was in a car accident and hit my lower face.
So I booked a second post op consult. I was greeted by Doctor Spiegel and two new residents, and the four of us gathered in a room slightly larger than a closet. I showed him all of my concerns and the two residents looks at my face oddly seeing that it didn't look well. The doctor said he could do a fat graft to help even things out and rushed out of the room, it seemed he didn't want these residents to see the work attached to his name. A few moments later a girl in the office came in and handed me a quote for 2,500 to do a fat graft. I replied I thought that a revision was covered. She said let me talk to him and I will call you, it has been 9 months since then and I am still waiting by the phone.
This showed me his character, based on his lack of interest in his patients and the greater interest in his wallet I won't go back.
I requested my surgical notes from Mass General. Once I received them I was beyond taken aback. To find that in each portion of the surgery it stated Dr. Speigel name along with his female resident surgeon I had met the day prior to surgery, then in the end it said Dr. Spiegel was present at all times. I am sorry but I didn't pay for a resident to operate on my face as some sort of practice in her training, and I guess ones result is based on the skill of the resident in training at the time their surgery.
It took me a while to come to terms with the fact my faced was damaged. So I did some research and traveled to see 3 maxillofacial surgeons experienced in revision work. I selected the one I felt was the best. I was sent for ct scans of my chin and jaw. There are several areas of asymmetry. I was also told the incision inside my gum is too high and poorly stitched. That my chin muscle needs to be resuspended and properly attached as it was left just dangling. I need a series of small implants custom made to fill in the all the areas of asymmetry. The ct scan was 1k, the implants are $5500 and surgery is 15k, I am scheduled for surgery later this winter.
The nerve damage and loss of feeling will not return.
Going to this guy was the biggest mistake of my life.
DrSpiegel.com Reviews
A little background: I transitioned at 18 years old in the early 90s. I had a few nips and tucks over the years and passing was never an issue. I had my chin filed down in 2004 by a well known ffs doctor in Chicago. He did a good job but it was slightly uneven. Still passing was never an issue, beyond that I was always considered very stunning and people would gasp in disbelief when they heard of my past being transsexual. Any surgeries I had done were done very well as looked extremely natural as if nothing was done at all.
So in 2014 I decided to have the slight unevenness revised on my chin. I decided to go to Dr. Jeffery Spiegel. He was supposedly known for giving slight yet natural results. As I stated passing wasn't an issue, I didn't want to look like someone else, but I wanted someone experienced with chin surgery beyond a standard surgeon, so Dr. Spiegel seemed like the right choice.
I had a face to face consult with him told him I wanted to fix the slight unevenness and while he was in there to tapper my jaw to blend smoothly into my chin. I paid my deposit and booked surgery 2 months later. I paid the balance due in the interim. I was then contacted by the office asking if I could change my surgery date to a week later. I already had planned for a friend to go along with me and she took the time off work. I asked my friend if the new date worked and she changed her schedule. I emailed the office to get a reply back that something came up and could I move it ahead yet another week. In total this happened 3 times, my friend was beyond upset.
So mid February was the date. My friend and I arrived in Boston. I went to Dr. Spiegel's office the day prior to surgery. I was greeted by a female resident and asked several questions as to what I was looking to achieve ect. In talking I stated I generally use fillers in my cheeks, she said of would you like me to put some in today. I was a little taken aback as I was scheduled for surgery the following day. Soon after I was greeted by a girl who worked in the office, in talking she told me about a laser she did and asked if I wanted to do it today also. I don't know but I started to felt like I was in a used car lot not a surgeons office. I was finally greeted by Dr. Spiegel he and his female resident looked over my face and he pointed things out to her. We chatted he asked a few questions and was only in the room for 5 minutes and said I would see him tomorrow at the hospital.
The next morning we went to the hospital early. Came out of surgery and I don't remember much. I went back to my hotel and rested. Saw Dr. Spiegel the following day, and left town a few days later. I got home I followed all post op instructions I didn't leave the house much for the first month as I was very swollen.
Over the next few months the swelling went down a great deal. As the swelling went down I could start to see a lot of unevenness. At 4 months post op I went back to Boston with my concerns. I was not happy at all. I had lumps, bumps and dents. Unevenness, was numb and talking was difficult. Dr Spiegel said I was still healing and I would be fine, to wait 9 months come back and we could address any concerns.
I waited 9 months and still all the same problems were there. Lumps, bumps and dents. Uneven beyond words. Before surgery I hadn't looked like I done anything to my face, now after surgery I didn't look like I had cosmetic work done but more like I had some sort of trauma, like I was in a car accident and hit my lower face.
So I booked a second post op consult. I was greeted by Doctor Spiegel and two new residents, and the four of us gathered in a room slightly larger than a closet. I showed him all of my concerns and the two residents looks at my face oddly seeing that it didn't look well. The doctor said he could do a fat graft to help even things out and rushed out of the room, it seemed he didn't want these residents to see the work attached to his name. A few moments later a girl in the office came in and handed me a quote for 2,500 to do a fat graft. I replied I thought that a revision was covered. She said let me talk to him and I will call you, it has been 9 months since then and I am still waiting by the phone.
This showed me his character, based on his lack of interest in his patients and the greater interest in his wallet I won't go back.
I requested my surgical notes from Mass General. Once I received them I was beyond taken aback. To find that in each portion of the surgery it stated Dr. Speigel name along with his female resident surgeon I had met the day prior to surgery, then in the end it said Dr. Spiegel was present at all times. I am sorry but I didn't pay for a resident to operate on my face as some sort of practice in her training, and I guess ones result is based on the skill of the resident in training at the time their surgery.
It took me a while to come to terms with the fact my faced was damaged. So I did some research and traveled to see 3 maxillofacial surgeons experienced in revision work. I selected the one I felt was the best. I was sent for ct scans of my chin and jaw. There are several areas of asymmetry. I was also told the incision inside my gum is too high and poorly stitched. That my chin muscle needs to be resuspended and properly attached as it was left just dangling. I need a series of small implants custom made to fill in the all the areas of asymmetry. The ct scan was 1k, the implants are $5500 and surgery is 15k, I am scheduled for surgery later this winter.
The nerve damage and loss of feeling will not return.
Going to this guy was the biggest mistake of my life.