Dr. Amir Karam, MD

This is not the review that I wanted to be writing, especially since I felt confident that I had done my research and chosen the best doctor for the job. I am disappointed and upset and sharing my experience, because I wish I had known that there was a risk of this happening. I have been left with obvious SCARS around my hairline (front and back) as well as on my eyelids. With the hairline, I don’t understand why the scars can’t just be hidden in the hair (like I have seen other surgeons do). As for the eyelids, the work here just feels careless. I think of all the actors and models that have had work done, these results would be unacceptable. Fat transfer could have benefited from some attention to detail as well. I understand being conservative and aiming for natural looking results, but knowing that 30-50% of the injected fat will not survive, he could have been a bit more liberal with it. I think of all the amazing facial balancing work I have seen done by injectors online - and if they can do that with filler, surely it can also be done with fat by a skilled surgeon. And I believe he knows how to do this, but for some reason, it isn’t consistent. I have to deal with solutions for the scars on my own, because as others have mentioned, his team is not eager to offer help. Yes, they will take the time to talk to you about it, but I want a solution, not just a conversation. Having spoken to other surgeons and post op specialists since, it is common practice to have any corrective work covered and paid for by the operating doctor (if they don’t offer to do the corrective work themselves), but this does not seem to be the case here - you are on your own. This might have been something I expected if I went to some general plastic surgeon, but not when paying the fees for Dr. Karam. To be fair, my midface does look better. But, my chin does not and my neck work also feels lacking. And ultimately, the scars just take away from it all. Not only can I not wear my hair up, I can’t even tuck my hair behind my ears. Forget swimming. Makeup doesn’t really cover the scars, plus, I don’t always want to be having to wear makeup. I don’t feel relaxed in my body, and this is the opposite of how I wanted to feel. The healing process also takes much longer than a year, so be prepared that this might also be the reality for you. What pushed me to add my review was seeing him showcase the work he recently did on his wife. Of course he did an amazing job on his wife, it’s his wife after all. It’s going to be perfect, because he made a concerted effort for it to be (look at the scar stitching alone, so precise!) And, because that will be the surgery and recovery he showcases to convince you that her experience will be the same for you. My impression is also that you might get a better result if you choose to share your surgery journey on social media, because then he knows his work will be on display to the public; those ladies seem to be thrilled with their results. Reflecting back on the process, Dr. Karam spent very little time interacting with me face to face, and much less than ANY esthetician I have ever gone to see (pre or post surgery). And since my surgery, I have seen a whole array of specialists: microneedling, lasers, other surgeons to advise me on what to do next, scar tattoo specialists, etc. All of these people have given me more of their time and expertise, discussing facial structure, facial balancing, and my skin type and how that affects results. I think I spent less than 20 minutes in total with Dr. Karam in person, outside of the actual surgery. Another thing that bothers me about this lack of attention to detail and lack of accountability - and this might just be me - is his posts about his hard working immigrant roots. Both of these lacks are in direct opposition to what I know about immigrants and their work ethic. I appreciate humility and lack of ego, and wish that these are the qualities I had seen from him. Also, please note that there is a fairly high turnover within his team. In the over four years I have been in contact with them, the surgical specialist assigned to me changed at least 4 to 5 times. Although everyone is super nice, you don’t ever feel like you have one dedicated person that actually cares about your experience, or understands your specific case. Like others have said, do your research (even though I thought I had!), and always ask to see scar work.