Treatment Provider

Joseph Mele, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
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I'm feeling ok and have switched to tylenol...

I'm feeling ok and have switched to tylenol instead of painkillers and I feel better. Still very tired, but happy they're out.

However, I found out that my tooth was chipped from being put under general instead of the local anesthesia that I signed and agreed to. The anesthesiologists always ask you if you have veneers, and I do, and being put under entirely means you get tubes in your throat that can chip your teeth.

Another reason why I didn't agree to general anesthesia, including that I just have a really terrible physical reaction. So now my smile has been broken because of Dr. Mele's malpractice. I feel terrible.

First I just want to say how relieved I am that...

First I just want to say how relieved I am that those bags of plastic are finally out of me! I feel great, and like myself again, and can't believe I ever found augmented breasts attractive. Yuck. Since I've been in bed resting, I've read a lot about celebrities who took their implants out, and they all look so much better. Truly, it feels like I got my life back.

Now onto the not so good.

I had signed a form and verbally communicated and agreed with my surgeon to have them removed under local anesthesia as I'm scared to be put under and had really bad reactions to the anesthesia before. He was gracious and kind enough to fit me in his tight schedule yesterday because my spring break was the only time I could do it. For that I am extremely grateful. But when I confronted him that I didn't agree to be fully put under, he sort of paused and then asked why I didn't say anything. I didn't say anything because I trusted they would do as we agreed and I couldn't say anything because you had me entirely put under against my will? Very scary feeling.

And afterwards I found out that my implants not only were two completely different sizes, but had been way overfilled. My previous surgeon originally put in implants that were too big, and I had to downsize very quickly after because of his mistake. Not only did he overfill the saline implants too much, but he downsized less than 100ccs, so he basically didn't change anything, just lowered the implants a little to make them look more natural. If he had downsized like we had agreed, I wouldn't have had back problems and would've felt more comfortable with the smaller size and may not have explanted.

However, the bottom line is I'm so glad they are out and that my body is mine again- and that I don't have to deal with untrustworthy surgeons again. The world of cosmetic surgery is too much for me to handle, and I'm proud that I'm walking away from it. I wish I could put into words how much better I feel. I wish that I had gotten them out under local that I had consented to, that way I could have experienced them being taken out. So even though I woke up scared and full of heavy anesthesia that made me nauseous enough to have to get another shot in my arm to fix it, I still am glad I made this decision.

They're very soft, still kind of swollen and a little saggy, but I'm already putting bio-oil on them and wrapping them tight and high. Even though they're "at their worst" now, I still think they look worlds better than my implants. And I look so skinny! :) It's good to be me again.

First I just want to say how happy I am that I...

First I just want to say how happy I am that I fond this community. Everyone is so supportive and when I first came to terms that I did in fact hate my implants, reading everyone's stories was a great way to console myself and understand that it does get better. So hopefully writing this will help others who are researching the same thing :) I'm a little nervous to add pictures, but I probably will in a little bit.

I'm 21 and went from a 34b/c to a 34d/dd (saline, overfilled I think to 360cc) about two years ago when I was only 19. I was younger and lacked a lot of insight about long term effects, and how it would distort who I was as a person so much. I've only had them for two years, but I feel like they unfortunately have become a big part of my identity and I no longer want to hide behind them. I've always wanted bigger boobs and envied my friends who had them, and it really effected me when other friends would talk about getting implants so flippantly. I just thought it was what everyone was doing, or was going to do, so I might as well just get them done earlier.

Unfortunately based on how people treat you, I know that for me personally it brought out a side of me that I hated. I knew how much nicer and more attentive people were to me when I wore more revealing clothing, and over time that just became the formula I hid behind to "be happy". I had to get used to people making horrible judgements and lewd harassing comments in passing, and I would tell myself I didn't care, but I did because it just wasn't me. When I look at pictures of myself with them in, I look good in some of them but I never recognize myself. So in the end if creepy older men are nice to you just so they can use you for your body, it just creates an illusion that isn't worth it. I don't want to live for anyone but me anymore.

With the more serious possible emotional detriments of having implants aside, I work out a lot and they always get in the way. I know a lot of body builders have them, but I've always had a lot of problems doing yoga and never being able to relax because I was paranoid of them breaking- and don't get me started about running lol. In addition to them always making me look larger unless I'm wearing tight clothing, having them has kept me at a higher weight. If I lose weight, I lose the fat that conceals the implant and they look pretty bad. Great a higher weight, but then my self-esteem is centric to my implants again.

After looking at pictures of myself before implants, I realized how much happier and cuter I was. Everyone always thinks that I look older and heavier because of them, and I just really want to get back to my petite and athletic self. The one that gets treated nicely because of her personality, the body that I work for, and my face. In fact, I got more attention from real and good men when I didn't have them, now I just get creepy ones who try to just sleep with me or try to stare at my boobs all the time. Or I'm just being paranoid haha, but either way this is no way to live!

SO with all of my story and therapeutic rambling aside, I'm very excited but of course still nervous. I've gotten used to seeing them, and it's going to be weird to get them taken out and see that at their worst and then watch them slowly get better. I catch myself looking at everyone's after pictures and thinking how much better they look though! I'm not too afraid of sagging, and actually think it looks a lot more feminine and pretty than balloons under skin.

I'm of course afraid of complications, but in general I'm just really excited to pick up cute bras in the juniors section again. I may be 21 but I have some teenage years to make up for with obnoxious neon and polka dot/animal prints :) The doctor I chose is very nice, and has been nothing but supportive and kind. He can do it under local and even squeezed me in when he was all booked up because it was my spring break, and if he wasn't able to then I'd have to wait until summer and I want to try to be healed by then.

And again, I'm so glad this community exists. Some stories have even brought me close to tears and I'm so happy to see women having the courage to be themselves again. I wish I had seen this before I even got them done, and I hope that I can take this experience and grow even more from it.

Provider Review

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
130 La Casa Via, Walnut Creek, California
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I researched online, and found him through the justbreastimplants.com and admired that he took the time to answer peoples' questions on the forum. He does truly care, and I felt very comfortable with him doing the surgery and again am so grateful he fit me in. The only reason why I've given him the rating I have is because I know we had agreed to do it under local, and I signed a paper about it earlier and he forgot. When I asked him about it, he asked me why I hadn't said anything- because I trusted it would've been done the way we agreed, and he put me entirely under without my consent so I wasn't even conscious to have said anything? It felt hurt to be blamed for this, however he was nice enough to call me that next day after surgery. I really think it was just a very unfortunate mistake, but I know that I had definitely communicated to him and signed a form for it to be done under local. I'm not looking to take anything up with him as I'm just glad they're out, I would just like an apology and not to be told that I was responsible for not speaking up when I was physically unable to. **And now because I was put under against my will, they chipped my teeth in the process.