Words cannot express how grateful I feel post surgery. My journey has been long and traumatic. In…read more2001, I was diagnosed with Graves' disease. After two rounds of medication over the course of three years, the disease went into remission. My eyes experienced some changes. I had elevated eye pressure, and was on Timoptic eye drops for 6 years. My ophthalmologist told me I'd be on the drops for life, otherwise I would go blind. Although I had been born with congenital festoons, I felt like the festoons looked more puffy, so I decided to seek out a plastic surgeon. In March 2005, a doctor from midland park NJ performed a Midface lift in an attempt to get rid of my festoons. Immediately after, my right eye developed a web and retraction. In addition, the festoons were still present. He told me it looked good, and asked if I wanted to look hollowed out, so I looked for another surgeon. A plastic surgeon in Hackensack NJ attempted to repair the right eye retraction and web. Ten days post operation, the stitches tore through my eye, even though the doctor told me the stitches were dissolvable. I tried to reach him, but he was playing golf in Florida, and there was no covering doctor. I went to Hackensack emergency department and demanded to have a plastic surgeon assess the damage. Another plastic surgeon from Hackensack came to the ED and removed the remaining stitches. He advised me that I should stick a q-tip in the corner of my eye everyday to stretch the tissue, and I was given some ointment. Days later, I followed up with the doctor who had seen me in the ED at his office. He explained that mistakes happen and sometimes wrong stitches are used. He also explained that festoons are not repairable, but he referred me to a highly recognized surgeon in NY to see if he could help. That was the beginning of my journey with a Park Avenue doctor beginning in March 2007 who attempted to address my festoons and damage to my right eye. It didn't work, so I had 4 subsequent surgeries with that surgeon in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013, all attempting to get rid of my festoons and repair the right eye outer corner damage. The last surgery in 2013, he put mitek screws in my skull to suspend the Midface. During this time, I also began seeing a new ophthalmologist, since in 2012, my thyroid condition had switched to Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The new eye doctor told me I probably didn't need eye drops anymore. I began a trial without the timoptic, and was carefully followed. Fortunately, my eye pressure remained within normal limits. After my last surgery with the Park avenue doctor, he and the office staff became very rude to me, refused to see me, told me they could no longer help me, and that I should find a mental health therapist.
From 2005 to 2025, I have hidden behind sunglasses, all the while trying to research a fix, but to no avail. I've had countless consultations, but I never found anyone who could address my situation.
My surgery with Dr. Asaadi has been a LIFE CHANGING surgery for me. I don't have to hide anymore. I pray everyday that this continues to work out for me. It has taken me 20 years to find Dr. Asaadi, and I am beyond grateful. Plastic surgery isn't only about vanity as some may think.
Rachel Napolitano
