I'd be careful besmirching a respected surgeon's reputation like that. I ended up speaking to him briefly over the phone and he seems like a very genuine guy. He noted my concerns of wanting both functional (recessed maxilla due to having worn a headgear when i was a teen) as well as aesthetic improvements. Didn't seem like he was upselling or willing to work on someone with body dysmorphia. Anyway I see him in a few weeks as I'm flying for the consult in-person. I'll let everyone know how it goes.
There is nothing wrong or 'besmirching' with her giving her take and noting it's her take and she might wrong. She's giving her opinion and with no agenda that you reach the same conclusion.
The FACT that she PREFACED her impression with:
["By the way, This is just my take on it based on information I gathered, but of course I might be complitely wrong and he might be an excellent surgeon with strong ethics, I have no way of knowing."]
suggests she WAS CAREFUL and was not 'besmirching'.
Surgeons-- respected, good rep or not-- on this board are not protected from the honest opinions of others.
Your honest opinion about your interaction is also welcome. However, I do think you could have countered her opinion simply by what you said AFTER the first sentence about 'besmirching' him.