Camille:
I've been coming here for 10 years to Dr. Fernau. The first day I came in for my consultation I had been, prior to that, to many plastic surgeons. They were usually abrupt with me. Didn't' really give me a lot of information. This was the only plastic surgeon that I came into and he took about two or three hours consulting with me about how I wanted my face lifted.
Camille:
Another thing that he asked me, which no other surgeon asked me, was concerning my teeth. If I had all my teeth. I said yes I did. He said, "Because if you didn't I would like you to have that work done before you... And then come back to me to get the surgery." I thought that was a very good question because your bone structure is supported by your teeth. Okay.
Camille:
I had interviewed five other plastic surgeons and none of them seemed to take any time to explain exactly what they would be doing during the face lift. In fact, the one did say that he couldn't fix the lower part of my face so I... When I first started consulting, I just let it go then after I heard that because I figured, "Well if my lower face can't be fixed? Why even have anything done." I waited for awhile and then started to get more opinions from different surgeons.
Camille:
Dr. Fernau took the time with me. He also mentioned, because I discussed my face, what was going on, the wrinkles, that I have a forehead lift with the face lift to have it balanced. We also, I believe... Yes we did. We did some work on my under eyes because I had already had my eyes lifted prior to that but that was a long time ago when I was younger.
Camille:
He was very thorough, he looked at my face and told me that I needed more than I thought I needed. I think he was right. He did a very good job on my face. I was very happy.
Camille:
I had had a prior surgery to my nose. I had a rhinoplasty, I believe that's the pronunciation for it, and my nose was collapsing. He had to fix that. He did that surgery on that and lifted my nose.
Camille:
He also, after he did that, at another time he gave me a tummy tuck and a hernia repair, which I always wanted. After having that done I noticed such a difference in my back. My back didn't hurt me as much after I had the tummy tuck. In all honesty, I had the tummy tuck done in my 60s, I wish I would have had it done earlier because there was such a difference in how my body felt. Okay.
Camille:
I had a face lift done with a forehead lift. I also had a neck lift done while I had the face lift done. I had upper and lower eyes tucked. Also, after my face lift was healed pretty much, I had facial laser resurfacing. Then I went on to have abdominal surgery 'cause I had a hernia repair that I needed. That went very well. Along with that he did some liposuction, when he did the tummy tuck. I also had my cheeks implanted and my chin implanted.
Camille:
Then I moved on... Years ago I had had breast surgery and I had implants that were 27 to 30 years old. They were leaking and I knew about it but I was fearful of having them removed because I knew it would not be an easy procedure. However I talked to Dr. Fernau about it and he said he was confident that he could do a... Do the surgery on me and give me new breast implants. He did do that very successfully. I was very happy. He put drains in and I had no infection. It turned out very well. He did reconstruction because it was a lot of surgery. I was in surgery about six hours with that. I was very pleased.
Camille:
Okay. I just had some filler put in my face today. It's called Artefill and it's a wonderful filler because it does last a long time. Most of them go away in a very short time but the Artefill is very lasting. He's done several injections of the Artefill and I've been very pleased with that to maintain my look and keeping me looking fresh.
Camille:
It made me feel younger. Gave me a new lease on life and I felt so much better about myself because I was feeling poorly about my appearance. 'Cause I knew there were things wrong with my face and my body that I did not like. Like that abdominal surgery. I mean, it made my back feel so much better. It was such an improvement. I should have had it done years ago so I could have had more relief with my back pain. Also with my appearance. It's just made me feel a lot better.
Camille:
Okay. I have recommended some family to Dr. Fernau because they wanted to have just some lesions removed from their face. I've also recommended friends to Dr. Fernau.
Camille:
I'm very willing to talk to any perspective patients of Dr. Fernau's because if they have questions about the surgery, I think it's always good to get a recommendation from someone that's had the surgery done.
Camille:
When I started coming here, I remember saying to my husband, "Well, do you want to have anything done?" He said, "Oh, no. You go ahead and do it." Then after I had been coming here awhile, now I'm 73 now, and I started in my 60s. My husband looked at his face and saw similar things that I saw when I was first looking at my face. He says, "Oh, my eyes. They look very bad. I have these bags under my eyes." I said, "Yes you do." He said, "Maybe I should do something about it." I said, "Well I think you should, if you want to." 'Cause I didn't want to push anything on him unless it was his idea. He had the surgery done and he's so happy with it now. He's going on to have fillers done to. He's had Artefill. He's done very well. He looks a lot younger than he did and I'm glad he had it done because when I look at him he looks younger and it just makes him look happier.
Bob:
I had Vampire Facelift done first. That is where they take your own blood and they centrifuge and then they inject the plasma back in. That made me look younger. I was kind of surprised. I thought, at first, it didn't do much of anything but then I looked at my before pictures and I couldn't believe it. How much younger I looked.
Bob:
Then, inspired by that, I had my eyes done because I had these bags underneath my eyes that really made me look old so I had that done. That made me look quite a bit younger.
Bob:
Then, lastly, most recent thing I've had done is I've had the Artefill injected in my face. That actually took the deep creases that I had in my face and it's made them look a lot shallower. I just can't believe the difference in how I look. How much younger I look. I probably look... I'm in my 70s. I probably look... A lot of people are surprised I'm in my 70s. Maybe somewhere in my 50s.
Bob:
I'm very happy with... That Dr. Fernau did it. He has... If I could think of one word to describe him, that would be integrity. That he does an excellent job and he absolutely stands behind everything that he does. A very talented surgeon and a good guy. An honest guy.
Bob:
How it's changed my life is it certainly makes me feel a lot younger, a lot more vibrant, a lot more attractive. Even though I am, chronologically, a certain age I really don't feel that way. I don't act that way. I would highly recommend someone who is considering it, have it done. I mean, what is money for if not to help with people you love and to make yourself feel good?
Bob:
The thing is, and this is really the truth, and they are so damn caring. They really are. You don't get that feeling with other people. I mean, I've sat down... For example, when she had the breast surgery, he went through... He came down and sat down with me after he had completed it. He was really, really deeply concerned about what had happened and what have you, in a personal way. That just goes down to his integrity and his commitment to the situation. He is a very good surgeon. Although surgeons... They have the practice, and they have all the constraints of the practice and what have you, but it goes way beyond that.
Camille:
When I first came in for surgery, naturally I'm very apprehensive, but then when I see Sherry and she's just a very kind loving person. I feel relieved. Then when Dr. Fernau... When he's consulting with you, generally, he's friendly, very friendly, but when he's operating-
Bob:
When he's zoned in.
Camille:
You can just see that he's zoned in on what he's doing and he's very concerned that everything is right. That's what I like about him. He's a perfectionist, he wants it done right. In the surgery centers that I've gone to as an out-patient, or in-patient, when they hear that Dr. Fernau is operating on me they tell me that they really love his work. He does beautiful work and he does. That's his reputation. Also from other doctors, have that same reputation about him.
Bob:
He's kind to the people in the surgery centers and what have you. They like him.
Camille:
Yes. They do. He's very well liked. He does... He's just very professional and he does an excellent job.
Bob:
Besides the fact, we like him.
Camille:
I like the friendliness of the staff. Sherry is always very helpful.
Bob:
Sheila. Yeah.
Camille:
Yeah, Sheila is very helpful too. Cindy's a great help too. In fact, I didn't really believe in... I believed in skincare but I had no idea on what an aesthetician did. I figured I was spending my money on what mattered the most to me but then, after you have surgery, you have to fine tune things. I really believe that she really knows what she's doing, as far as skincare is concerned-
Bob:
This is Cindy?
Camille:
This is Cindy. Yeah. Cindy is very well trained, and she has such an interest in it too, that she's really an expert in it. I feel confident in her. Whatever she tells me is the truth. That's very important to me, that I be told the truth.
Camille:
That's the way Dr. Fernau is too. 'Cause I've come into his office, I've seen things on TV, and I go, "Oh, well maybe we should do this. This would help." He says, "You don't want to do that. It's not a good procedure to have done." It would have made money for him but he actually said, "Don't do it." That's what you want in a surgeon too. Not only skilled hands, you want honesty, 'cause you don't want to be having procedures done that you don't need. That aren't gonna help you.
Bob:
If you're considering having something done, for yourself as a guy, or for your wife, or girlfriend, or what have you, I would highly recommend Dr. Fernau.
