Andrea Van Pelt, MD

Tears of joy, I couldn’t be happier with my choice of surgeon. I’ve been researching this procedure and countless surgeons since I was 18 (currently 32) and finally built up the courage and finances to go through with it. And I truly don’t know what took me so long.
I’m 3 days post op and yes it’s painful, yes anesthesia sucked and I was nauseous and dizzy for a full day afterwards but also- I immediately felt the weight off of my chest. The ever apparent knots in my neck and back from the 32H’s I was carrying around I swear are already loosening. I’m honestly not even sure how many grams were taken out since Dr. Van Pelt had a goal of 500 on my left and 600 or so on my right and she took out more than she thought she’d be able to.
She was open and honest with me about the state of my skin and how for aesthetic purposes we might have to do the full anchor style incision (while still performing the Spair style technique as far as the internal workings, do your research if it doesn’t gross you out- it’s very intriguing!) for the sake of the shape and smoothness of the stitches, and while that did disappoint me a bit because the Spair technique is main reason I consulted with her to begin with, I also completely understood and trusted her judgement knowing she just wanted the best results possible. After all, I had a very large, stretched out, and imperfect canvas to work with!!
Estimating a full C size cup once all is said and done and healed. I’ll definitely post more along the road of recovery, but as of right now I’m one happy girl and I highly recommend this skilled surgeon.

Updated on 16 Jul 2021:
Healing well, still feel run down but better every day. Tried on an old dress this morning, things are higher and in different places now so I was wondering if it would show too much. It’s a very wide and low cut top but nope, just fits perfectly now and with no bra! love it. So worth it. Tried on my old 32DDD bras and they actually fit properly in the cup so I bet once the swelling goes down more I’ll be a 32d-dd or 34c-d. I have a small rib cage compared to the rest of my body (which you couldn’t see before the reduction lol) so it all depends on the band… They said 6 weeks before I should buy anything new so I’m impatiently waiting for the day!

Updated on 4 Aug 2021:
Not much to update on, doing good! Weight restrictions are lifted which is great, but being more sedentary for a month hasn’t done my waistline any good- can’t wait to get back to fully working out and pushing my limits like I used to now that sports bras will fit me! Left breast is looking a little higher and bigger than the right but I feel like it just has more settling to do shape wise. At my markup my surgeon told me they might look uneven for a while since my mammary fold on the left is naturally about 1/2 inch higher than the right. I’m sure what I’m seeing now is exactly what she was warning me about. I’ve been using scaraway silicone gel just to try, I don’t recommend because there’s not much product in the tube. I ordered Avene cicalfate+ scar gel by my surgeons recommendation, I’ll use it religiously once I receive it and post an update in about a month.

Updated on 15 Sep 2021:
Still some residual scar pain sometimes. Especially the bottom incision. But glad to see that I still have sensation in both nipples besides directly where the scars are. Still crazy to put on clothes and have them fit. Scar treatment in my opinion is going good, only so much you can do though. I have some puckering around my nipples but it’s getting better and honestly I did have a ton of loose skin and stretch marks.

I had a awesome experience! She was attentive, honest, caring and on top of that she did fantastic job!!! I couldn’t be more satisfied with my outcome so if you want someone who care and knows what she is doing then choose her! Bedside manners are wonderful!!! Staff is awesome as well

I had an excellent experience with Dr. Van Pelt and everyone at Partners In Plastic Surgery after a disappointing consultation with another surgeon. I'm not from Grand Rapids and so I first looked for a surgeon in my hometown. The appointment was Ok...but, I left feeling very uneasy about the lack of information I was given and judgement about what I wanted aesthetically. I decided to travel to Grand Rapids to get a second opinion from Dr. Van Pelt and felt immediately at ease with her. She gave me all the answers I was looking for, let me "try on" implants (which the other doctor did not) and kept her word about everything she told me 100% of the time from start to finish. The Partners In Plastic Surgery staff are all excellent, as well. They always got back to me when I had questions and were kind the entire time. The on-site surgical suite is absolutely spotless, state of the art and better than any hospital I've ever seen. I wasn't even nervous the day of my surgery. I'll never regret making the trip to Grand Rapids to meet and work with Dr. Van Pelt. Sometimes we forget that, as patients, we do have choices...it's empowering to remember that and chose the best for ourselves.

I just turned 40 in March of this year. I'm a mother of two beautiful daughters, and both of my pregnancies were C-sections, and I gained incredible amounts of weight with each(80 & 125#'s). After over three years of eating clean and working out, I came to the realization that something's diet & exercise just couldn't fix. And decided that I wanted to have a tummy tuck. A friend of mine had the procedure done about a year prior. A few weeks back I ran into her, and after seeing her results I was absolutely blown away. I scheduled the consult with the same physician she used, and just a couple weeks later my procedure was complete. I had a complete Abdominioplasty (full tummy tuck), muscle plication and a little Lipo on each side to smooth out the results. 5-7 hours later I was sent home with 2 drains, a compression device and a handful of prescriptions.

Updated on 30 Mar 2015:
I'm not gonna lie, if I had any idea how badly this was going to hurt I'm not sure that I would've done it. My surgeon assures me and five weeks, it'll all be worth it???? I did see my surgeon today who's impressed with my progress and agreed to take out the drain on the right side of my body. It's amazing that instantly that seem to provide some pain relief. I am amazed how quickly the swelling is going down and the bruising is almost gone to.

Updated on 3 Apr 2015:
Drains are both finally gone! Yeah! I'm off pain meds completely and only take Valium at bedtime if needed. I'm feeling much better. And starting the count down to freedom....13 more days until I can resume some "normal." I'm allowed to ride my Harley & return to the gym at 4 weeks. Swelling is greatly reduced and I'm
Impressed with the results already. My tummy is tight and almost flat. And my new belly button? Kinda cute. Lol

Updated on 3 Apr 2015:
Both drains are finally out! Yeah!!! Instantly I was in less pain & more comfortable. I'm off pain meds completely, and only take a muscle relaxer at bedtime if needed. I wear my compression device 24/7, and change my bandages every other day. The swelling is going down daily. My tummy is tight and almost flat. I'm impressed at what I'm seeing already. And my new belly button? I'm loving it! Lol. The countdown is on....13 more days until I'm released to some "normal" At 4 weeks, I'm allowed to ride my Harley and return to the gym. ????

Updated on 11 Apr 2015:
I'm literally tickled. My TT looks amazing so far. A line down the middle of my abs is trying to develop and my obliques are trying to show. I've been eating clean, drinking lots of water, walking nightly amg greatly anticipating my return to the gym. So far, I'm completely satisfied.

I had RNY 4/26/06. Best decision ever! Lost 165 lbs and have maintained that since. The way my shape was I had 2 "Rolls" divided by my belly button. I really wanted my belly button to "see the light". It's been living in darkness between the rolls. Decided on the Lower Body Lift. My insurance would only cover the lower roll so I paid the rest. So far I LOVE the way my body looks and can't wait until the swelling is down and I can lose the binder. I really want to try on some clothes. My belly button can see the light and it's very nice.

Updated on 29 Mar 2015:
I have lost 14 pounds since my surgery but can't button my jeans. They go up nicely but can't button. I figured that losing my belly fat rolls and a few extra pounds they would be too big. Hopefully they will fit again eventually. I would hate to go thru this and have to buy bigger pants.

Updated on 1 Sep 2015:
Back to normal now. Just had 6 month check up.

I am one month post-op from my Rhinoplasty and I am not very happy. She only did tip work and raised my columella and my nose still looks big, and my nose is very crooked. It looks like she stitched my columella back on crooked. Also my nostrils look VERY different but at my 1 week post op she said there isn't anything you can do about 2 different sized nostrils.



Updated on 8 Jun 2015:
What should I do? I had a revision 2 years ago and my nose still looks the sand!
Updated on 8 Jun 2015:
Had revision about 2 years ago and my nose looks the same! What should I do? Do you think she should fix this? I mean I paid $4300 for the intial procedure. My nose/nostrils look so different and crooked! I think it looks worse than before. Im so mad that I rushed into this with out doing research on surgeons in my area.

I have a family history of large breasts! My mom had a breast reduction before she had kids, and I have always known I'd eventually want one ever since high school. I was a 34DD by the time I was 16. I've had three kids, and breastfed them all for a combined total of 5.5 years of nursing. I'm now a 36H. My back hurts almost always, despite monthly chiropractic adjustments. I have a constant under-boob rash. Permanent shoulder grooves. And headaches! Ugh!
So for my 29th birthday, I scheduled a consult with my Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Van Pelt in Grand Rapids. She is warm and friendly and I immediately felt at easy with her and her staff. They also told me I'd have no problem getting insurance to cover my reduction. Insurance requires a minimum of 370grams per breast to be taken out, and she is planning on 750 from my left, and 800 from my right. Hopefully bringing me to a large C, or a D.
So, now I'm trying to get stuff planned. Childcare for my kiddos, sports bras for after. Not sure what supplements/creams/etc I'll need. I need to do more research!

Updated on 17 Jul 2014:
Surgery was July 16th. It was about 4 hours long, and I was discharged a few hours later. Everything went well. Doctor took out more than she was planning. 900 grams out of one, 1100 out of the other, for a total of about 4.5 pounds!
My drains are killing me. They are really my only source of pain. I'm uncomfortable elsewhere, but the drains are the worse. Took a shower at 24 hours post-op, and that felt fantastic.
I'm taking Norco every 4 hours or so.
Also, my arms are red and warm, which seems weird.

Updated on 22 Jul 2014:
I just had my one week post op appointment and got my drains out. I consider it a small miracle that I did not pass out flat on my face. It's not even that it hurt that much, but I was instantly dizzy, sweaty, and nauseous. I had eaten about an hour before and had taken a pain pill, and I'm glad I did. It was intense. But now I'm drain free and tape free. Crazy!
Pictures are from last night, so still with drains. I'll post new ones later.

Updated on 22 Jul 2014:
Here are pictures after tape and drain removal. I have some areas on my incision I'm concerned about, but the nurse I saw today didn't say anything, although I think her main concern was me fainting.

Does anyone have an opinion as to which procedure is better? I'm seeing a PS that only does the SPAIR technique. I did see another PS that would do the anchor type surgery. I'm at a loss as to which way to go. Currently I am working with various health professionals to write letters indicating medical necessity for my insurance company. Hopefully they will approve my procedure.

Updated on 25 Aug 2013:
I met with a plastic surgeon last Friday and have decided to go with her. She is confident that I will be approved for surgery with my insurance company. She took one look at me and said, Oh my, you really need this surgery. So now I am just waiting to hear that I have been approved so that my surgery can be scheduled.

Updated on 5 Sep 2013:
I called my insurance company to check on the status of my pre authorization and they said I was approved for surgery. I can call my PS office next week to get this surgery scheduled, so the countdown begins next week!

Updated on 9 Sep 2013:
I'm 60 years old, 4'10" with up to 1000 grams to be removed from each breast. I will have my surgery on October 2nd. My doctor was able to determine that I meet criteria so she didn't even send my information in for a Pre Authorization. The surgery is completely covered with the insurance company! I am so blessed.

Updated on 18 Sep 2013:
I just returned from my PCD and she cleared me to have my surgery! I wasn't real worried about having a problem, but one can never be sure until its in writing. So I am all set now, the PS has all my medical permissions she needs to go forward on October 2nd.

Updated on 18 Sep 2013:
As silly as this may sound, I am practicing not drinking anything when I get up in the morning. My surgery isn't until 1 with a hospital check in at 11. It's not too bad, so I'm happy I will be able to do it. I'm so used to drinking water.....about a gallon a day.

Updated on 1 Oct 2013:
I just returned from my marking appointment and picked up my prescriptions! This time tomorrow I should be in recovery. Surgery is at 1:00 and I report to the hospital at 11:00 AM. Dr. Van Pelt said she could probably take me down to a large C.....I'm currently a G, so that would be great, if it can be done safely and of course that is her priority. M

Updated on 3 Oct 2013:
My surgery was October 2, 2013 at 1:00 PM. They started a little late, but it was about a 4 hour surgery. I had a heard time waking up, so I didn't go home until 4:30 AM today. I wasn't in pain but I did have severe dizziness and some vomiting. But now I am fine. I've been able to eat what I want without any issues. I've only taken 2 Tylenol extra strength and my antibiotics. That's about it.