A doctor who specializes in fixing botched plastic surgery procedures has revealed how to avoid being maimed under the knife.
Dr Timothy Katzen has handled hundreds of patients over his more than 25 years of practice, including a number who were victims of ‘botched’ operations.
Some of these were seeking a revision after a procedure, like a nose job that resulted in proportions they didn’t like.
But in other cases, patients were left with gaping wounds that reopened and became infected, sagging skin that rippled and — in rare cases — holes in their buttocks.
Plastic surgery is surging in popularity in the US as more people seek cosmetic enhancements amid the rise of Instagram filters and celebrity ‘tweakments.’
Last year, an estimated 1.5million cosmetic procedures were carried out in the US — among the highest ever recorded and up five percent from the previous year.
Of these, liposuction was the most popular — with 347,000 patients — followed by breast augmentation — at 304,000 — and tummy tuck — at 170,000.
Dr Timothy Katzen, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, has increasingly helped patients whose plastic surgeries have been botched
The vast majority of surgeries are carried out by well-trained surgeons and are completed without issue, with excellent natural-looking results for patients.
But in uncommon cases, patients can end up with complications — although this accounts for less than one percent of all US patients, estimates suggest.
Dr Katzen said: ‘Although it is very, very rare, you can have a complication with any procedure you do.
‘It may not be the fault of the patient, and it may not be the fault of the surgeon — but complications do happen even when we try our best. Sometimes, things just don’t heal right.’
Now, in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, the Beverly-Hills based doctor revealed the most common botched procedures that he fixes, as well as his top tips for avoiding becoming a botched patient.
Be aware of the most commonly botched surgeries
Overall, Dr Katzen said he sees the most complications from silicone injections, with an average 10 to 15 people per week seeking his help to reverse lumps, bumps and infections caused by the substance.
People can get the injections to enhance or reshape certain body parts by adding volume, smoothing wrinkles or contouring areas like the lips, buttocks, hips or face.
But these are illegal in the US, with the FDA saying they come with a risk of ‘serious injury and disfigurement’ that can happen weeks to months to even years after the injection.
Dr Karzen helps people with silicone injections by removing the silicone from their bodies, and also clearing up any scar tissue surrounding it.
Patients who had America’s most common surgery liposuction were the next most common at his practice, with Dr Katzen saying he sees about five patients with complications from this procedure in a week.
In many cases, they were struggling with loose or rippling skin, which was caused by too much fat being removed during the procedure.
Dr Katzen said they fix this by either injecting more fat into the area or by performing skin-tightening surgery.
Thigh lift, a procedure used to tighten skin around the legs, was the third most botched procedure the surgeon said, also with about five patients a week.
In many cases, he said, the incisions from the surgery — running from the groin to the knee — had opened, sometimes completely, and caused an infection.
He also mentioned a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), a notoriously dangerous procedure because it involves injecting fat into the buttocks.
In some cases, some of these fat cells may get into a blood vessel, in what is called a fat embolism, from which they can come to organs like the lungs and cause a blood clot.
Plastic surgeries normally have no complications if they are carried out by a trained and experienced surgeon. Statistics suggest less than one percent have complications
Look for before and after photos
When choosing a surgeon for your procedure, Dr Katzen said one of the most important factors to consider is their online before and after photos.
‘The best way for a surgeon to prove to the public that we do lots of these procedures, is to post lots of before and after pictures,’ he said.
‘Surgeons can mention they did college and residency and are triple-board certified, have a fancy office, and tons of reviews online.
‘But, at the end of the day, they may have actually only carried out the procedure you’re looking for on one patient.’
Before and after photos, however, allow prospective patients to see real results on a variety of body types.
Let your surgeon decide what you need
Many patients go to plastic surgeons demanding a particular surgery, and search for a new surgeon if their request is denied.
But Dr Katzen said it was important for patients to listen to a surgeon’s professional opinion, which is based on years of training and hundreds to thousands of operations.
‘I think patients need to be cautious and trusting of their surgeons,’ he said.
‘I don’t think patients should go to surgeons and say, “I want this!” Show the surgeon what’s wrong and let them help decide the best thing for you.
‘For example, I have had people come in who say they want this area of skin [on their face under the eye] three millimeters higher, but in some cases that may not be possible or could actually give someone an unnatural appearance.’
He warned that refusing to listen to surgeons, even when they say you don’t need or qualify for the procedure you’re requesting, raises the risk of suffering from complications.
Don’t go by price or recommendations from friends
Dr Katzen advised people to try not to consider cost when searching for a surgeon
Many patients consider cost and friends’ recommendations when choosing a surgeon, but Dr Katzen cautioned not to prioritize these.
‘If you are considering a plastic surgery procedure, then do your research, but do not shop around based on prices,’ he said.
‘Just go for the surgery you can afford, but don’t go for the lowest bidder. Go for the surgeon you feel is the most experienced in your procedure.’
He also advised not following the recommendations of friends, saying they may have had a different type of procedure or have a different body type.
Avoid illegal procedures
Many patients have turned to illegal silicone injections from illicit surgeons and are now having to have it removed.
Silicone is a synthetic substance that is used in implants for its soft texture that mimics the feel of human flesh.
But the FDA has banned it being injected into patients except in very rare procedures because of the high risk of complications.
Dr Katzen said he has seen many patients suffering from silicone complications, including many referred to him by other surgeons.
In past cases, he has had people who had swollen penises due to the injections or buttocks where holes had opened up in them due to the injections.
Know what surgeries to skip
Dr Katzen said nearly all surgeries can provide excellent results, as long as they are carried out by a well-trained and experienced surgeon.
But he did say there was one procedure, which he has only seen online, he would avoid. The operation is a facelift-like surgery in which a patient’s skin is sewn together on the cheeks to give them a face-lift-like.
This differs from a normal facelift, where incisions are made in front of the ears or a brow lift, where they are made along the hairline.
‘It’s making people look like pincushions,’ he said, ‘I wouldn’t recommend that one’.
He wasn’t clear on the name of the procedure, but said it differed from a thread lift — which has been approved by the FDA for skin lifting and tightening.
Dr Katzen added: ‘But the rest are legitimate, and are good in experienced hands. Most of the time the ones who get botched procedures have not been with surgeons who have proper training or who haven’t done it before and are inexperienced.’
The safest surgery REVEALED
Asked if there were any surgeries that rarely cause complications, Dr Katzen said complications appeared to be lowest with hair transplants.
‘We see a lot of the body lift, tummy tuck over the hip, and others that are botched — where they’ve maybe taken out too much or too little skin,’ he said.
‘But one of the safer surgeries, I would say, is actually hair transplants.
‘With each hair transplant we do it on the back of the head, in a place where it isn’t going to be obvious.
‘And then, with the transplant itself, if we lose a couple of hairs, that is ok, that is part of the accepted risk. It is very rare that patients experience blood loss.’
About 650,000 people in the US get hair transplants every year, estimates suggest.