'Botched' Season 8: Where is Monica now? Dr Paul Nassif helps lip fillers victim get her smile back after over 20 failed surgeries
TIJUANA, MEXICO: Monica had an awful condition after obtaining lip fillers in her 20s, necessitating the removal of two-thirds of her lips. 'Botched' Season 8 patient, Monica's smile, could not be restored with even 20 additional procedures.
Dr Paul Nassif performed a buccal mucosal transplant under her top lip to increase her projection. He additionally performed a scapular skin transplant to give her lips more volume and addressed the scars around her chin.
She looked great for the first several days, but then it became dark. The leech woman was brought in, and the procedure caused some bleeding—a good amount.
Monica's full-thickness skin transplant, which 'Botched' doctors obtained from her shoulder, turned black. It appeared to be dying or dead. The leeches were ineffective since there was not enough blood supply.
Finally, Monica had a biological dressing to see if they could extract some tissue that would develop from the inside out and, perhaps, give her some length.
Dr John W Frederick, a plastic surgeon on 'Botched', used Voluma hyaluronic acid 8 weeks after her surgery to provide some pop when her full-thickness skin transplant perished. After the scab was removed, she still had a longer lip.
The Voluma injection increased the volume and length of Monica's lip while also correcting any depressions that existed. Even though the filler was a difficult decision to accept, Monica believed it was the "perfect final touch."
Monica is no longer in pain with her lips, and the tingling has subsided. She can now eat and drink anything she wants, and she speaks much more freely.
Who is Monica on 'Botched' Season 8?
Over 20 years ago, Monica had some injections, which left her skin infected with a red lip and no volume.
Monica's life was shattered with just one lip injection. The 51-year-old Tijuana resident's lips seemed uneven and extremely tight, particularly the top lip.
After one lip excision and 20 lip reconstructions, it's stiff and uncomfortable. It's like a burn.
Monica underwent lip filler in her twenties and developed a severe infection. She went to a plastic surgeon and had two-thirds of her lip removed.
She did not look well after having her lip removed. Furthermore, she underwent 20 procedures, and none of the surgeons could assist.
She sometimes wants to grin but feels trapped. Her rigidity makes it difficult for her to get a full smile.
What happened to Monica in 'Botched' Season 8?
Monica informed Drs Nassif and Terry Dubrow that when she went for a facial, a woman tried to sell her lip filler. When she disclosed that it was a milky substance, doctors on 'Botched' assumed it was silicone.
She instantly detected the filler moving above the lip and instructed the lady to stop. A few days later, she woke up one morning with a big lip.
Monica went to see doctors, who administered steroids that acted as miracles for a short period of time. However, Monica's face doubled in size after 7–10 days.
Dr Nassif concluded that whatever Monica had injected into her "caused a horrible allergic reaction and was probably contaminated. Maybe it was full of bacteria. Maybe it wasn't sterile."
Monica went to a plastic surgeon and asked them to remove a portion of her lip. Following that, she went to another plastic surgeon, who performed a transplant from Monica's inner cheek.
She had to go back numerous times because it did not stick. Monica experimented with hyaluronic acid and fat filler following the transplant.
Dr Nassif saw Monica received a lot of steroid injections, which he believes caused skin thinning and abnormalities. Dr Frederick accompanied Dr Nassif to do the operation under local anesthesia because if she is awake and can be observed moving her lips and doing a few things.
Monica's operation was difficult owing to a large amount of scar tissue and old filler in the entire mouth region, which limited her blood flow. Even if achieving anything beautiful from the operation seemed difficult, Dr Nassif hoped to see some mobility in the lips by the conclusion of it.
Dr Frederick removed scapular skin from Monica's shoulder to use as a skin transplant for her upper lip. At the same time, Dr Nassif extracted a buccal mucosal graft from the inside of her mouth and sewed it to the inside of her top lip to create a projection and a more natural appearance.
They next cut around the outside of Monica's top lip and utilized the scapular skin to add volume and relieve strain on the upper lip. Finally, Dr Nassif addressed some scarring on her skin.
How much does 'Botched' Dr Paul Nassif charge for lip reconstruction?
Patients must first come in for a private consultation with Dr Nassif before proceeding with the therapy. During this discussion, all essential information is discussed to ensure that the patient's objectives are achieved.
Everything, from the patient's medical history to the drugs they are now taking, is assessed. The facial and oral regions are then measured and evaluated.
"Before" images are also taken during this occasion, so that patients may compare their outcomes later. The lip lift treatment seeks to narrow the gap between the lower region of the nose and the upper lip.
The initial step in this procedure is to numb the treatment region using a local anesthetic. A tiny incision is made right below the nose.
This guarantees that it remains buried and fades into a delicate, thin line with time. This flap of skin is then raised, and superfluous tissue is removed. Sutures are then utilized to secure the skin into its new place.
Drs Dubrow and Nassif frequently perform "high-risk visual plastic surgery" that is more expensive than standard procedures and "could be $90,000 or $100,000 out in the real world."
'Botched' Season 8 airs on E! Entertainment on Thursdays at 10 pm ET