Dr. Rose Mary Jacinta Lewis, MD

I went to Dr. Lewis for a jowl lift in 1989. She recommended a chin implant, with neck and nasal-labial fold liposuction, and a lower lid blephoplasty for a refreshed and lifted look. I made the mistake of trusting her "expertise". Her manner was very rushed and a bit irritable, but I reasoned everyone has a bad day now and then. I wish I'd turned and walked out the door and never looked back had I known what lie ahead! During the consultation, she spent a lot of time discussing "arbitration" (rather than outright court action) if I wasn't satisfied with her work. This also should have been a red flag. I arrived for my surgery early on the appointed morning; my first impression was literally of a meat market. rather dirty and disorganized surroundings, there seemed to be a lot of hurried bustling and hustling around (amazingly, I STILL didn't heed is as a red flag!). I was treated very much like a piece of meat. She sat me down and drew some haphazard lines on… my face, and offered nothing in the way of reassurance or even pleasantry; she was very curt, unsmiling, and oddly manic. Looking back at her behaviour, I would not have found it surprsing that she was under the influence of cocaine, or something similar. I was given medication, "sterilized", and wheeled into a very large operating room. The anathesiologist was terrifying - he spent the whole time singing and chatting, and I was getting the distinct impression he did not know his business - he didnt! I was fully conscious and in horrible pain during the entire procedure! It was like a low budget horror movie! Dr. Lewis and her assistants carried on a running chat about vacations and various topics while she "operated" on me ; I might as well have been a stuffed animal she was working on. Her manner could hardly be described as gentle or even precise; she literally ripped the skin under my eyes, clipped off some fat (far too much! I'm left with hollowed out eyes , and one eye larger than the other from poor, haphazard stitches). She quite literally ripped open an incision in my lower jaw ( mind you, I'm feeling every bit of this!) using a scalpel that badly needed sharpening (imagine trying to cut tomato slices using a butter knife) When I stifled a scream, she matter-of-factly said , "She's still awake" and the "anesthesiologist" put a mask over my nose for a few short breaths, which made me a tiny bit more drowsy but still fully conscious) . She started shoving a small chin implant into the pocket she'd made in my chin, then pulled it out and told an assistant to get a "medium size", which she shoved down into my chin and quickly stitched up. By the time she started the liposuction, I was crying uncontrollably. Dr. Lewis, without speaking, gave me two injections in the face (I'm assuming this was some sort of numbing agent - which takes time to take effect!) and resumed shoving the lipo cannula around my lower face and into my neck. Tears were still rolling down my cheeks and she remarked to her assistants "Well, I don't know what's up, I guess we'll stop" , leaving the lipo procedure unfinished. (My neck and lower face now looks deformed, with alternating stripes and pockets of fat marking the sloppy liposuction.). I was wheeled into a recovery room with several other cut-up patients, all moaning, some crying - it was surreal! I was offered no pain medication (by this time the pain was so horrific I wanted to just die to be rid of it!) I was required to pay in full before the procedure, so after a nurse decided I could walk, I was hustled out the door because they needed the bed. I wasn't instructed about after-care, nor given a follow up date for a check up. I spent the next week in terrible pain, and after the swelling went down, I discovered to my horror that I now had a bizarre Jay Leno chin, totally out of proportion with my face; I looked like a monster created by a special effects team! It was very difficult to get an appointment with Dr. Lewis, but once I did, I drove (2 hours from my home) to confront her about what she did to me. She was very angry, and responded that she'd "done exactly what I wanted her to do" (!) Finally, I was reduced to raising my voice and telling her to " get this thing out of my face!". She stormed out of the room, and presently returned somewhat calmer, telling me should could remove the implant right now. I was tossed a robe and told to change; was given a cursory sterilization and wheeled into the operating room with ONLY Dr. Lewis and NO assistants! she literally ripped open the stitches, yanked out the implant, and rapidly stitched me up. She had cut a nerve - to this day, I cannot feel the right side of my lower lip, and have horrible scars which, fortunately, are hidden inside my mouth . I asked about scar tissue, she told me that "some patients find that after I've removed the implant, the scar tissue gives them a little lift to their chin, like they want." (God is my witness, she actually said this!!! Apparently, she'd screwed up more than one chin implant!). The scar tissue has, over the years, settled in a strange, lopsided "witches chin". I became so despondent and depressed over the whole horrific incident, I waited too long to go for my arbitration option ( which I am convinced would have done me no good anyway) and am now, in my later years, horribly scarred for life by this woman. I have since met and heard of other victims of Dr. Rose Lewis - I cannot emphasize enough : This woman should NOT be practicing !!!!!!! It's too late for me, but for you - RUN!