I had twins a decade ago. I've also had many surgeries laparoscopically causing irritation and issues with my belly button. There was no exercise in the world that could fix the skin and belly button. Pros: less irritation from belly button, flatter stomach, extra skin gone, clothes fit better. Cons: the scar. I was concerned I would be self conscious of it, but I had a pretty big scar from the c-section from the twins. The recovery didn't bother me. As stated I had many surgeries. The first few days I needed pain meds but by day 4 I was only taking Tylenol. I still needed something to sleep at night bec you need to sleep on your back while the drains are in. First drain came out and the second one is coming out in 5 days. I will definitely update 6 months later. Date of surgery 1/19/23. Date of review 1/26/23 (one week post op) This surgery and recovery team is TOP NOTCH! I felt so at ease and feel so good for being 7 days post-op. The surgeon is honest and realistic when you consult. I'm thrilled so far. Can't wait for drain #2 to come out and for time to pass with swelling to decrease. This is a major surgery and that takes time! If you get this surgery understand it takes time to heal! But its worth it and I believe I picked the best in the business to perform it! Updated on 4 Feb 2023: 2 weeks post op- my second drain came out a couple days ago. I tried on a bathing suit understanding that there is still swelling. I weighed myself when I got home to keep track of fluid/swelling. Over those 2 weeks the weight varies (I want to note the weight doesn’t matter as the specific number but just the + and - for fluid. I am down about 9 lbs since the day I came home. I still feel swollen which is 100% to be expected. It will take months for it to all sort itself out, but overall I feel great and I’m happy with the results so far. One of the reasons I selected my surgeon was I didn’t want an ugly belly button and she reconstructed mine beautifully. My friend says some of the TT belly buttons look like a “cats butt” and I can’t unsee that now on some. This is just a bathing suit update. I’ll add more over the next week. I was excited to get both drains out and just try something on. I got this bathing suit in the mail 1 day before my 2 week post- op. Updated on 5 Feb 2023: Wearing compression underwear and using scar gel. I can see my “pouch” area is still swollen (from the side). Can’t wait to see how it transforms. Updated on 13 Feb 2023: 25 days post-op. I am applying scar gel and have opted to still wear the binder (even with high compression underwear). The area is still “numb” but my belly button is healing so nicely! The scar is softening as well. Updated on 23 Feb 2023: Still no feeling around the naval and back but that is to be expected! The scar gel is doing an excellent job! The swelling just below my belly button has noticeably decreased over the last 2 weeks. Updated on 15 Mar 2023: The belly button just keeps getting better and better! Make sure the surgeon you choose makes a pretty belly button. Dr Houssack is so talented and she has transformed me! Worth every single penny! This is not a procedure you want to just go with the cheapest bid. Go with the one that will take your health as a priority and invests in your recovery. Updated on 28 Feb 2024: I am a year out from a tummy tuck and diastatis recti repair. The results speak for themselves. I have zero regrets! Life changing! Dr H and her team are amazing! I have implants that will need to be changed out soon and will be using her again for that. She is extremely reputable, knowledgeable, and caring about her patients. Updated on 28 Feb 2024: Tummy Tuck-
Dr. Houssock was incredible. From the moment I stepped into the clinic to the moment I left I felt not only at home- but part of a family. The entire staff made me feel so welcome and relaxed that I didn’t want to leave! I was apprehensive about seeking cosmetic care, but Dr. H and the staff made me feel empowered and beautiful in my decision. These wonderful people deserved the utmost respect for what they do to patients. If I could give them higher than 5 stars I would. I will never go to any other clinic than this. Dr. H is a gem and I will recommend her to ANYONE and EVERYONE!!!
I cannot say all of the wonderful things about JEV Plastic Surgery, Dr. Houssock, and her team. There are just not enough words. In 2020, I lost 90+ pounds. Most of my lose skin was in my inter thighs and lower stomach. So I had a consultation for a tummy tuck and thighplasty in June/July 2021. My consultation was the Danielle (the surgery director) and Dr. Houssock. Amazing, wonderful women! They were incredibly supportive, informative, answered all of my questions. I am a nurse but on the inpatient side so I don’t know all the surgery/OR lingo and culture. What I loved the most about Dr. Houssock was that she didn’t push a perfection agenda. Her first question for me was what were my goals, what did I want/need to feel healthy, comfortable and happy with my body. Instantly I knew Dr. Houssock was the surgeon I wanted to do my surgery and help me continue on my journey. During the time between consultation and procedure, Danielle kept in consistent contact with me. She sent me info regarding pre-op and post-op instructions, helping me with medication prescription, everything. And everyone in the office was always willing to help answer my questions if Danielle wasn’t available. The night before my surgery (Sunday), Dr. Houssock called me from home to touch base, see how I was feeling, went out over any last minute questions, and just the overall plan for the day. I was scheduled for a bilateral thighplasty for 1/3. I was created and prepped by Val K, RN. Val was amazing! So kind, supportive, sociable. Val went over all of the post-op and after care instructions with my friend (who is also an OR nurse) and then took me back to get ready. It felt like have a casual breakfast conversation with a good friend. Next I meat Sara, CRNA. Again, incredible! Sara is on her game! We went over medications, possible interactions, she explained step by step everything that would happen on her end. Lastly I met with Dr. Houssock and Val again. Dr. H went over what her intended plan was and afterwards asked me what I wanted to do in terms of the procedure (where I wanted lipo, problem areas, etc). We did some before pictures and marking. Next up I was taken to the OR where I was greeted by other staff and a warmed OR table and lots of blankets. Sara ensured that I was comfortable, down to readjusting my hair and positioning my limbs for comfort. Some pleasant conversation and then I was out. I woke up to Val’s smiling face, sitting at the bedside. She had already called my friend who was taking me home. Val helped me get dressed and out the care safely. I’ve been very comfortable since getting home. The pain of the equivalent to a decent leg day at the gym. Though I'm starting to get still and I’m sure I’ll be in more pain tomorrow. Dr. Houssock called me in the evening to see how I was feeling and to answer any questions. Hands down, highly recommended!! I plan on do more procedures with Dr. Houssock in the future and I could not be happier with my choice. Updated on 14 Jan 2022: I had my 1 week post-op follow-up appointment with Dr. Houssock and Danielle, JEV’s Practice and Surgical Director, earlier this week. She removed my drains which was honestly the most painful part of this experience to date. Dr. Houssock and Danielle were so incredibly supportive and compassionate with their care. I had been experiencing increased pain and cramping along one of my drains. Dr. Houssock addressed my concerns, extended my pain medication script, and wrote a script for a short course of oral antibiotics (just to be safe). I received an email from Danielle the following day to see how my pain and cramping was doing since the drain removal. The pain and cramping had significantly improved. They are really adamant about making the patient a part of their care. Later this week I had some concerns about two very small openings along my suture line as well as continued drainage from one of the drain exit sites. I took photos and emailed them to Val, one of the amazing nurses at the practice. Within an hour she had shared my email and spoke with Dr. Houssock and called me back with an update. She gave me some advice over the phone (light bacitracin on the small openings, cocoa butter on my legs but not on the incisions to help with dryness and tightness), and continued use of my compression leggings.
I don’t know where to start my review. I never thought I would have an experience as great as I did. I traveled across the world to do my reverse tummy tuck with her because she is the best . Dr Houssock is so humble and easy to talk to. She listened to all my concerns and answered all my questions. And she has an amazing team. Val, Danielle, Alina and Sarah they are very professional yet fun to be around .I will be forever grateful for the way I was treated, they all made my dream come true.
Dr. Houssock is an amazingly talented doctor. Her compassion, understanding and concern for her patients is world class. I highly recommend her for breast augmentation as well as upper and lower blepharoplasty surgery.
Dr. Houssock is amazing! She has the best personality and makes you feel super comfortable. I recommend her to ANYONE looking to have anything cosmetic. Since I was 16 I've wanted to have Breast Augmentation and 20 years later Dr. Houssock made it happen. They look better than I ever could have imagined.
Amazing results with a reverse tummy tuck done by Dr. Houssock. If you have extra loose skin above the belly button then this is the procedure for you!! A little painful the first few days but each day gets better and better. Everyone in the office is welcoming and makes you feel more than comfortable.
My experience was awesome. Excellent staff. Everyone was so nice. I will refer everyone to her. The energy in the office is so inviting. Dr. Houssock is awesome she has an awesome personality just all smiles in the office. I am more then happy that I choose JEV to perform my surgery.
Seriously life changing! So so worth it. Worth the money! My doctor was amazing from start to finish and even after. I stayed the night because I had two procedures and I'm so glad I did. Made me feel safer. They keep a close eye on their patients! The breast reduction was honestly painless. Such an easy recovery. When you hav large breasts you deal with pain daily, so this was about the same as the pain I had daily already. Updated on 13 Oct 2020: I had no clue this was even going to turn out so dramatically good! The outcome surpassed my expectations! I am not a skinny girl, although I've been putting in some work, but my outcome is amazing! I did a lot of research before choosing Dr. Houssock and knew I was in the right hands. She's a magician! As I said in my previous review, I stayed overnight which was very comforting. I'm only 12 days post op and I've already had 2 follow-ups, with another in 2 days. They keep a close eye on people which makes me very comfortable. I drive an hour to see her. I live outside of DC and drive past Baltimore to see her. That should say a lot!
I've always had a naturally high hairline and as I got older and had two children (thy love to tug my hair) it seemed to be getting worse. I had a virtual consultation with Dr. Carrie Houssock of JEV Plastic Surgery an she determined that I would be a great candidate for hair grafting. I had been curious about this procedure for long time. I'm glad that I finally did it!
From the photos your provided, it looks that you have a contact dermatitis, or allergic reaction. It is possible it is due to adhesive, or an ointment you are using. It can also be the sutures absorbing within the skin. I would stop all topical treatments and see your doctor asap so they might prescribe something orally to help with symptoms.
There will not be an issue with transplanting if your hair is bleached. However, the surgeon may dye the hair that is to be harvested to better see the shafts. This is decided case by case.
Thank you for your question! Very often I will offer a lift with implant as part of a "mommy makeover" Often after pregnancy you are left with skin and tissue that sags and loss of volume. The lift will remove any saggy skin and tissue while lifting the nipple to a more pleasing location. The implant will often give that upper pole fullness you desire. As for insurance, it is very dependent on the carrier. Very often you need a significant amount removed (they often give a weight minimum) in order to be covered. They will definitely not cover the implant, and adding the implant may even be a reason for them to deny coverage itself. I would speak to your insurance provider directly and find out what they require in order to be covered. Good luck!
I am sorry this has happened to you. I would highly suggest returning to your surgeon to discuss this and your possible revisions. This can be fixed. It would to be something I would personally offer under local anesthesia.
It is possible that a sensory nerve was cut during the procedure. Often this discomfort resolves, however since yours has been ongoing, you may now have a neuroma, where the cut nerve continues to have sensation and causes pain. Some simple remedies to try are "desensitation" maneuvers, including massage of the area. This needs to be done daily and regularly. Often a nerve medication can also be tried. Finally, it is possible the surgeon may need to return to the operating room to remove the end of the nerve. Either way I suggest you return to the surgeon so that they may make the best decision with you.
