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Introduction Thank you to everyone in the realself...
Introduction
Thank you to everyone in the realself community who have graciously provided accounts of their experiences to help others with theirs. I know my adventure would've been infinitely more bewildering, lonely, and scary without the posts and community here. I wanted to share my experience with the hope that this will help at least one other person with his/her journey. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Unfortunately I do choose to refrain from posting any pictures due to privacy concerns - thank you for your understanding!
Background & Stats
Age: 25 & no kids
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 110-115 lbs
Pre-Op Size: small 34B
Post-Op Size: TBD
Implant Details: Mentor 400cc, Moderate Plus profile, Smooth Round Silicone
Incision: Inframammary
Doctor: John M. Shamoun, Newport Beach, CA
Deciding on the Surgeon
I work in West LA and live near Downtown Los Angeles, so naturally when doing research on the best BA surgeons, I was inundated by a plethora of great surgeon choices in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica - arguably among the best in the world. After extensive research on RealSelf and other web resources, I narrowed down my list of potential surgeons to two doctors - one is near where I’m based in Los Angeles, and the other was Dr. Shamoun. Unlike most patients whose experiences I’ve read about here, I believe I made my decision before going into my first consultation appointment. Dr. Shamoun and my other choice were similar in some fundamental ways - both had consistently good reviews, have all the credentials, and were said to deliver amazing results. However for me, there was one thing that differentiated Dr. Shamoun in my mind from the other when doing my research - and I believe this difference was further reflected in other facets of my experience with him. I first noticed this when I had to dig for more information about Dr. Shamoun than was immediately available on the web. In my experience, I found that relative to other doctors with comparable prestige, Dr. Shamoun generally had a lower web presence - ironically, I think this was a big plus for me (see why below). Further, I could not find a single thing on the web indicating that my results with him would be anything less than incredible. His reviews are convincing, but what swayed me most was the raw material I was able to find on his webpage - I found that his candid notes on beauty, technique, and medicine were in line with my values, and I believe this was fundamental in making my experience an overwhelmingly positive one.
Making my consultation appointments with the doctor in Los Angeles, I believe I was directed several times by an answering machine. I was soon in touch with a receptionist who very promptly scheduled me for the next available consultation, which required more than a month’s wait. More than being required to wait so long for the first consultation, I was left feeling like I was joining a list of patients and would ultimately be just a number and a file on their shelves. Dr. Shamoun has a boutique-like practice that did not make me feel like just another patient during the entire process. His receptionist Yvonne was incredibly personable, while the payment and appointment making processes are seamless, and I waited (on average) less than three minutes to get in a room with the doctor - that both my time and I (as both patient and non-patient) are valued is important to me. I was eager to make my experience a special one, and I knew Dr. Shamoun would be able to achieve this for me. I made my surgery appointment on the day of my consultation with him.
A testament to how much I trusted my choice in surgeon was the extra commute time, money, and coordination was required in getting my surgery outside of Los Angeles. I probably would’ve saved around $2,000 in hotel, transportation, and meal costs with a total of ~8-10 hours of commute time had I chosen to have my procedure done in Beverly Hills. For me, investing more in the experience was totally worth what I paid for - and I treated my weeklong stay in Newport Beach as a treat to myself and all worked out fantastically! When choosing a surgeon, my recommendation is do a lot of research to find someone whose values align well with yours - for whom additional costs and accommodations are well worth it. Try to look past the fancy pictures, tech, and web sources that doctors have nowadays to uncover aspects that are specifically important to you. For me that was a no-frills experience with friendly staff, and incredible results without feeling like I was just another unit on a production line.
What I Wanted
Unfortunately I wasn’t set on what I wanted or what I thought would look best on me before my consultation. I knew that: my upper body is larger than my lower body, and that I’m thin but I didn’t want my new breasts to make my upper body larger - but I did want to go large enough to feel more womanly, without overwhelming my lower body. I felt like I had a list of unquantified goals, and that communicating these with a doctor who would deliver would be walking a very thin line. Fortunately I put most of decision on size and profile on Dr. Shamoun, who I trusted was much more knowledgeable about proportionality and balance than I was. With minimal input on what I wanted and didn’t want, I got what I dreamed of by trusting that he had an eye for aesthetic and all the skills to deliver them.
Pre-Op
During the pre-op, I had my before pictures taken by Dr. Shamoun, and had my blood drawn for testing before the operation. It was a pretty straightforward appointment; not much to say here. We never spent too much time together during our appointments, but I never felt like I had any questions or concerns that went unaddressed.
Operation
This was my first ever operation and I was very nervous! The only other operation I had was wisdom teeth extraction with the help of a local anesthetic. Fortunately I had a long week that week and was more tired than usual - I think this helped with the anxiety. My boyfriend very graciously offered to take care of me, so he took me to the surgery site around 7AM. Both Holly (nurse) and Ron (anesthesiologist) were incredibly pleasant in my short time with them. I couldn’t have asked for staff with better bedside manners than they had. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain but my experience was much more painless than I had expected. I’d say the most painful aspects of the operation were: 1. the needle to numb the site of anesthesia injection (which is comparable to any other needle), 2. the sore throat post surgery, and 3. missing my dog in LA. That should put into perspective how painless the procedure was for me. I believe Dr. Shamoun speaks about his specific philosophy on surgery technique and its implications on pain on his website, if you’d like to read further. Shortly after I woke up from surgery, my motor skills were very limited but I felt normally cognizant - this was interesting as I had never used general anesthesia before. Getting from the recovery room to the car to the hotel was uneventful - no pain with bumps thanks to the anesthesia.
Post-Op Nausea
Is this a thing? I guess it is because I was prescribed an anti-nausea medication to take before and after surgery. I’m very prone to nausea, requiring dramamine for even very short flights, so I’m sure this measure helped *a ton*. If you’re prone to nausea, I strongly urge you to speak with your doctor about anti-nausea medications pre and post surgery.
Post-Operation
Day 1 (day of surgery) - I ate and drank water solely to take medicine; otherwise I was very sleepy and disinterested in almost everything besides a nice long hibernation.
Day 2 - I woke up very early because I was very uncomfortable from sleeping upright. The toughest things to do shortly after surgery are: getting up from laying down (this is the most difficult!), opening heavy doors, and raising arms. I also found that my chest wall got sore if i slept on my back too long, so I very frequently took warm baths to get out of bed and do something different. Day 2 wasn’t very painful - but it was pretty uncomfortable due to limited mobility. In fact I think I could’ve passed on the pain meds, but they did help immensely with my ability to sleep through the uncomfortability.
Day 3 - It wasn’t as painful to get up, and I didn’t require help from my boyfriend to do so. We took a short walk to grab some lunch, and I was pretty much self sufficient by the end of the day. Also went out to watch the Martian which I didn’t think was that good! Last day with pain meds.
Day 4 - Similar to day 3 but I felt better. Things got less uncomfortable and I stopped taking the pain meds.
Day 5 - First postop appointment! Before the appointment I walked around the mall by myself, though I was pretty low in energy. One stitch on each side was removed at my appointment, and we made the 1.5 hour trip back to LA shortly after.
Today (about 10 days post-op) - I went in for my second post-op appointment where my stitches were removed. My breasts are still riding a bit high but Dr. Shamoun assured me that they'll drop and fluff in about three weeks. Other than that, they feel balanced and besides the occasional soreness I feel very minimal discomfort. I was instructed on a stretching move and a very simple massaging technique to last me through my next appointment with him in three weeks. I estimate that I'll ultimately be at a full 34C or small 34D, but we'll see when my results equilibrate!
Thank you to everyone in the realself community who have graciously provided accounts of their experiences to help others with theirs. I know my adventure would've been infinitely more bewildering, lonely, and scary without the posts and community here. I wanted to share my experience with the hope that this will help at least one other person with his/her journey. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Unfortunately I do choose to refrain from posting any pictures due to privacy concerns - thank you for your understanding!
Background & Stats
Age: 25 & no kids
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 110-115 lbs
Pre-Op Size: small 34B
Post-Op Size: TBD
Implant Details: Mentor 400cc, Moderate Plus profile, Smooth Round Silicone
Incision: Inframammary
Doctor: John M. Shamoun, Newport Beach, CA
Deciding on the Surgeon
I work in West LA and live near Downtown Los Angeles, so naturally when doing research on the best BA surgeons, I was inundated by a plethora of great surgeon choices in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica - arguably among the best in the world. After extensive research on RealSelf and other web resources, I narrowed down my list of potential surgeons to two doctors - one is near where I’m based in Los Angeles, and the other was Dr. Shamoun. Unlike most patients whose experiences I’ve read about here, I believe I made my decision before going into my first consultation appointment. Dr. Shamoun and my other choice were similar in some fundamental ways - both had consistently good reviews, have all the credentials, and were said to deliver amazing results. However for me, there was one thing that differentiated Dr. Shamoun in my mind from the other when doing my research - and I believe this difference was further reflected in other facets of my experience with him. I first noticed this when I had to dig for more information about Dr. Shamoun than was immediately available on the web. In my experience, I found that relative to other doctors with comparable prestige, Dr. Shamoun generally had a lower web presence - ironically, I think this was a big plus for me (see why below). Further, I could not find a single thing on the web indicating that my results with him would be anything less than incredible. His reviews are convincing, but what swayed me most was the raw material I was able to find on his webpage - I found that his candid notes on beauty, technique, and medicine were in line with my values, and I believe this was fundamental in making my experience an overwhelmingly positive one.
Making my consultation appointments with the doctor in Los Angeles, I believe I was directed several times by an answering machine. I was soon in touch with a receptionist who very promptly scheduled me for the next available consultation, which required more than a month’s wait. More than being required to wait so long for the first consultation, I was left feeling like I was joining a list of patients and would ultimately be just a number and a file on their shelves. Dr. Shamoun has a boutique-like practice that did not make me feel like just another patient during the entire process. His receptionist Yvonne was incredibly personable, while the payment and appointment making processes are seamless, and I waited (on average) less than three minutes to get in a room with the doctor - that both my time and I (as both patient and non-patient) are valued is important to me. I was eager to make my experience a special one, and I knew Dr. Shamoun would be able to achieve this for me. I made my surgery appointment on the day of my consultation with him.
A testament to how much I trusted my choice in surgeon was the extra commute time, money, and coordination was required in getting my surgery outside of Los Angeles. I probably would’ve saved around $2,000 in hotel, transportation, and meal costs with a total of ~8-10 hours of commute time had I chosen to have my procedure done in Beverly Hills. For me, investing more in the experience was totally worth what I paid for - and I treated my weeklong stay in Newport Beach as a treat to myself and all worked out fantastically! When choosing a surgeon, my recommendation is do a lot of research to find someone whose values align well with yours - for whom additional costs and accommodations are well worth it. Try to look past the fancy pictures, tech, and web sources that doctors have nowadays to uncover aspects that are specifically important to you. For me that was a no-frills experience with friendly staff, and incredible results without feeling like I was just another unit on a production line.
What I Wanted
Unfortunately I wasn’t set on what I wanted or what I thought would look best on me before my consultation. I knew that: my upper body is larger than my lower body, and that I’m thin but I didn’t want my new breasts to make my upper body larger - but I did want to go large enough to feel more womanly, without overwhelming my lower body. I felt like I had a list of unquantified goals, and that communicating these with a doctor who would deliver would be walking a very thin line. Fortunately I put most of decision on size and profile on Dr. Shamoun, who I trusted was much more knowledgeable about proportionality and balance than I was. With minimal input on what I wanted and didn’t want, I got what I dreamed of by trusting that he had an eye for aesthetic and all the skills to deliver them.
Pre-Op
During the pre-op, I had my before pictures taken by Dr. Shamoun, and had my blood drawn for testing before the operation. It was a pretty straightforward appointment; not much to say here. We never spent too much time together during our appointments, but I never felt like I had any questions or concerns that went unaddressed.
Operation
This was my first ever operation and I was very nervous! The only other operation I had was wisdom teeth extraction with the help of a local anesthetic. Fortunately I had a long week that week and was more tired than usual - I think this helped with the anxiety. My boyfriend very graciously offered to take care of me, so he took me to the surgery site around 7AM. Both Holly (nurse) and Ron (anesthesiologist) were incredibly pleasant in my short time with them. I couldn’t have asked for staff with better bedside manners than they had. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain but my experience was much more painless than I had expected. I’d say the most painful aspects of the operation were: 1. the needle to numb the site of anesthesia injection (which is comparable to any other needle), 2. the sore throat post surgery, and 3. missing my dog in LA. That should put into perspective how painless the procedure was for me. I believe Dr. Shamoun speaks about his specific philosophy on surgery technique and its implications on pain on his website, if you’d like to read further. Shortly after I woke up from surgery, my motor skills were very limited but I felt normally cognizant - this was interesting as I had never used general anesthesia before. Getting from the recovery room to the car to the hotel was uneventful - no pain with bumps thanks to the anesthesia.
Post-Op Nausea
Is this a thing? I guess it is because I was prescribed an anti-nausea medication to take before and after surgery. I’m very prone to nausea, requiring dramamine for even very short flights, so I’m sure this measure helped *a ton*. If you’re prone to nausea, I strongly urge you to speak with your doctor about anti-nausea medications pre and post surgery.
Post-Operation
Day 1 (day of surgery) - I ate and drank water solely to take medicine; otherwise I was very sleepy and disinterested in almost everything besides a nice long hibernation.
Day 2 - I woke up very early because I was very uncomfortable from sleeping upright. The toughest things to do shortly after surgery are: getting up from laying down (this is the most difficult!), opening heavy doors, and raising arms. I also found that my chest wall got sore if i slept on my back too long, so I very frequently took warm baths to get out of bed and do something different. Day 2 wasn’t very painful - but it was pretty uncomfortable due to limited mobility. In fact I think I could’ve passed on the pain meds, but they did help immensely with my ability to sleep through the uncomfortability.
Day 3 - It wasn’t as painful to get up, and I didn’t require help from my boyfriend to do so. We took a short walk to grab some lunch, and I was pretty much self sufficient by the end of the day. Also went out to watch the Martian which I didn’t think was that good! Last day with pain meds.
Day 4 - Similar to day 3 but I felt better. Things got less uncomfortable and I stopped taking the pain meds.
Day 5 - First postop appointment! Before the appointment I walked around the mall by myself, though I was pretty low in energy. One stitch on each side was removed at my appointment, and we made the 1.5 hour trip back to LA shortly after.
Today (about 10 days post-op) - I went in for my second post-op appointment where my stitches were removed. My breasts are still riding a bit high but Dr. Shamoun assured me that they'll drop and fluff in about three weeks. Other than that, they feel balanced and besides the occasional soreness I feel very minimal discomfort. I was instructed on a stretching move and a very simple massaging technique to last me through my next appointment with him in three weeks. I estimate that I'll ultimately be at a full 34C or small 34D, but we'll see when my results equilibrate!
Provider Review
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
366 San Miguel, Newport Beach, California
An incredible surgeon who has all the most important qualities I was hoping for in a doctor - raw technical skill, an good eye for balance and aesthetic, candor, and a deep, intimate passion for his patients and his work.