Description of Event or Problem · 1
LATE LAST YEAR, PT READ A BROCHURE ON A CONTOUR THREAD LIFT, PRODUCED BY THE PRODUCT'S MFR, SURGICAL SPECIALITIES CORP. THE BROCHURE INCLUDES VARIOUS STATEMENTS INDICATING THAT THERE IS LITTLE "DOWN TIME" FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURE INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING: "PTS CAN USUALLY RETURN TO NORMAL ACTIVITIES OR TO WORK WITHIN A FEW DAYS TO ONE WEEK. IN MOST CASES THERE IS MINIMAL DISCOMFORT, BRUSING AND SWELLING." "CONCEALING MAKEUP MAY BE WORN THE NEXT DAY." "NO ONE HAS TO KNOW YOU'VE HAD ANYTHING DONE!" "PTS CANNOT BELIEVE THEY LOOK SO GOOD SO QUICKLY!" BASED ON THE BROCHURE AND A CONSULTATION WITH COSMETIC SURGEON, PT HAD THE THREAD LIFT, CONFIDENT THAT THEY COULD PROCEED WITH A TRIP TO SPEND THE HOLIDAYS WITH FAMILY TEN DAYS LATER WITHOUT FEELING SELF-CONSCIOUS ABOUT APPEARANCE. TEN DAYS LATER PT STILL HAD VISIBLE GROOVES IN FACE AND CLEARLY HAD HAD COMSMETIC SURGERY. MAKEUP DID NOT CONCEAL THE GROOVES AND, IN FACT, ACTUALLY MADE THEIR APPEARANCE WORSE. NOT ONLY DID "NO ONE KNOW" PT HAD ANYTHING DONE...EVERYONE PT ENCOUNTERED KNEW THEY HAD HAD SURGERY OF SOME TYPE. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY HUMILIATING EXPERIENCE. THREE WEEKS AFTER THE PROCEDURE, PT STILL HAD DISCERNIBLE GROOVES AND SWELLING, ALTHOUGH, THEY HAD LESSENED SOMEWHAT. PT IS NOW AT THE 7 WEEK MARK AND THEIR APPEARANCE IS MUCH BETTER, ALTHOUGH THERE IS STILL VISIBLE SWELLING ON ONE SIDE OF FACE. BY THIS TIME, ALL OF THEIR FREINDS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND COLLEAGUES ARE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE HAD COMSMETIC SURGERY. PT BELIEVES THE BROCHURE PRODUCED BY SURGICAL SPECIALTIES IS MISLEADING AND DECEPTIVE. PT WOULD NEVER HAVE UNDERGONE THIS PROCEDURE IF THEY HAD KNOWN HOW LONG-LASTING THE SURGICAL AFTER-EFFECTS WOULD BE.