Charles E. Grado, MD (retired)

It was a very easy decision to make this choice. My pants just didn't zip up like they used to. I lost 35 pounds. I am now 1 day post op and am feeling good so far. After two csection my belly just hung over my pantS. It was time to make a change. It was a bi commitment to be off work, but will all be worth it when I get to see my stomach. Updated on 20 May 2015: Was feeling nervous, but everyone was so great! Updated on 20 May 2015: Feeling really good. Had a great caretaker (my mom) and took my medication with Tylenol in between. She helped me to get up and I walked around the pool table every time I got up to go to the bathroom. Napped throughout the day. Made sure to not strain and had help with everything. Could not have asked for more. Not in any pain, the drain was a little strange to go around. As you can see by all the padding. I don't go back for 5 days, and have to call in my drain amounts every day(take them every 4 hours and strip my drain). Updated on 26 May 2015: Took off the bandages and my stitches out of my belly button. I took a full shower! I have been just washing my hair and bathing with a washcloth! Biggest help- putting snaps in my girdle. I am so thankful that Dr Grado recommended this option. Still no drain out, he likes to wait 10-14 days.... Which is good I guess. Feeling good and sleeping good. Started to slow down on the pain meds as I am not in pain. Getting up to move around every time I have to go to the bathroom.

Okay so I go get my new boobs on the 2nd of October! I'm super excited. Also I'm nervous... I'm afraid of going too large or too small and I'm also worried about how I will take care of my kids. I'm a single mom of a 4 & 3 year old. My ex husband isn't very helpful and neither is my family. For the most part this surgery is my little secret. I may choose to tell people afterwards but I don't want the stress of negative comments beforehand. Then afterwards anyone who has a problem will have to get over it! My money and my body! So anyways... I used to be a full 36 c before my kids. Now from breast feeding and losing/gaining weight so fast with the pregnancies my boobs are a so 36b deflated. They lost the round perkyness to them:( I really want to feel more confident with them again. I dread wearing swimming suits and tight shirts because my boobs don't match my curvy body at all. Oh I'm 5'7 160lbs. So back to my new boobies! I'm thinking 500-600cc moderate profile under the muscle saline. Any advice/input would be greatly appreciated! Updated on 25 Sep 2014: I'm soo anxious and excited to have my surgery done on October 20th! I've decide on 600cc saline moderate profile under the muscle!! I feel sick with how anxious I am. Not good! But overall I'm excited!!! Been dreaming about my new boobs. Lol. Can't wait! Updated on 2 Oct 2014: So I had my surgery today!!!! Discussed size again with my doctor before the surgery. We decide on 330 over filled to 360. We wanted me to have great longer term results and said that smaller was the way to look more natural and still have a wonderful look afters years. I'm glad I choose to go smaller so far. I'm sure later on that I might want them bigger but anything is better than what I had! I was really happy with my doctor and all the staff at the surgery centre if anyone is near Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dr. Grado was amazing. I highly recommend him to anyone! Updated on 16 Nov 2014: So I'm at 6 weeks post op. I'm feeling great! I had no problems with surgery or healing. My doctor picked out the size of my new boobies. I was really thinking of going a lot bigger. Wow am I glad I didn't! My new boobs fit my size perfectly. They look beautiful and completely natural. Sometimes I think I should have gone a little bigger but at the same time I mainly did this for the self confidence. I've got that self confidence now! And I'm glad people don't look at me and see only my boobs! Lol. Anyways I'm just crazy in love with them. I'd recommend a boob job to anyone who is uncomfortable with their breasts! Definitely worth every penny!! Updated on 16 Nov 2014: Updated on 16 Nov 2014: Updated on 16 Nov 2014:

I had a tummy tuck with Charles Grado..he is suck an amazing person and caring doctor. The only problem I received is that I have dog ears, I wished he would of gave me lipo or something else to remove them..so now I'm walking around liking deformed..resulting me to get more work done by another doctor. I did get another consultation with Grado last month about the dog ears..but he couldn't guarantee that my stomach would be flat on the sides..with that being said I'm moving further.. :)

I have always hated my tummy. Especially after my first daughter was born, I gained 60 lbs, saggy, stretch marks, yuck! Then I had another daughter 13 months later. Went back up to the same weight with my first daughter. I then lost all that weight, was down around 145-150. Then, I had my first son, and gained all that pregnancy weight back. Had second son 14 months later. Lost it all again. Now, I fluctuate between 152 and 157. I'm trying to get as close to 150 as I can before my surgery on Jan 26th. My ps is in a town, 1 1/2 hours from my hometown. He comes to my city about once a month for consults and post surgery checks, also does a lot of reconstructions here. He comes highly qualified to me from several people I have talked to. I had my initial consult with him on December 7! I was so excited! I had a list of questions for him (in my head). Once I got there, I forgot them all! So, no matter what, write down your questions!!! He was great anyway, sat and talked with me about everything, good, bad and the ugly. Gave me a packet and told me to call to set it up when I am ready. At that consult, he couldn't tell if I would need rectus plication (sewing the abs together). He would not know that until he gets in there. If he does have to do that, it would mean a longer recovery. 3 weeks vs 3 months. I was on the fence...what a long recovery! But, then I talked with some people (mainly my nurse practicioner, who is also a friend of mine). If Dr. thinks it needs to be done, then why not do it! What's 3 months vs a lifetime of wishing I would have just done it! :-) So, I called to set up my surgery date on my Birthday!! What a great gift! I lined up my mom to help me out with the kids. My husband is MORE than supportive (he knows how self conscious I am about it, and how much I have wanted this for so long!)! I have two sisters, who live in town, and they are great helpers and very supportive! And, anyone I have told along the way have also been supportive and offer any help! My greatest anxiety was the $$. I talked this over with my husband. He reassured me that I should not be concerned about that. Even if I should have some complications and it ends up costing more $, he is okay with it. Again, he knows how much I want this! The other anxiety is leaving my kids. I will travel 1 1/2 hours to the surgery center the night before. Stay overnight, be there at 6:00, surgery time 7:30. Then stay overnight at a hotel again that night. I just want to get through the surgery and get home to my kids. I have never had major surgery before and am a little anxious about this. But, so many people have this procedure done and all come out fine. I am a healthy, fit, person and have no reason to believe anything bad should happen. I am looking forward to the next three weeks and preparing for this, physically, mentally and emotionally! I have a list going on my computer that many awesome people from this site have recommended. I can't wait to start purchasing things and getting my house ready; food, cleaning, preparing my recovery area, etc!! I will post more next week!Updated on 21 Jan 2012:My date has moved up!!! I am now scheduled for Tuesday, January 24th!! I'm so excited, but extremely nervous. I often wonder if this is the right decision. But, know I will regret it if I don't go through with it. So, I am focusing on all the things I would like to get done before Monday night. Clean the house, catch up on laundry, set up my recovery area, finish a work project. And, all this in between appointments and meetings I already had over the next two day! YIKES!! I make sure to take before photos and try to get them posted before Tuesday.Updated on 24 Jan 2012:On my way to the surgery center. VERY NERVOUS! just want it to be over. I took before pics. Will try to post them now. Wish me luck & a speedy, painless recovery! Ok, not sure how to post pics from phone. Will have to figure out later.Updated on 24 Jan 2012:Surgery cancelled got today :( I have an ingrown hair near the incision site. Dr. Grado is erring on side of caution. If a tiny drop of puss would get in the incision, it would not be good. I will be rescheduling. Excellent dr call! So glad he is my ps.

I got this procedure after 3 pregnancies. My stomach had completely stretched out and caused me to be very self conscious. I am happy with my results and I can wear clothing I never could before. I am now more comfortable showing my stomach than I was before I ever was pregnant. I was worked that the symmetry could be off with this kind of surgery. My scar is definitely asymmetrical and bulbs out a bit more on one side.

I had a tummy tuck on February 5, 2015. At first I was thrilled with the results as I was told the fullness was just swelling and it would get better. Dr Grado was a very pleasant man and his patient advocate Chris Harwood seemed so helpful and friendly. Everything seemed to be going great! After my general practitioner removed the drain I emailed that it had helped with the swelling but I just didn't feel like I had enough compression on my lower abdomen. Chris said to put a rolled up towel in to add more pressure. I did this until I saw that there was a bulge on my lower abdomen. I emailed again and the email was ignored (although she copied and pasted it into a later email pretending that she hadn't) I then Saw Dr Grado April 30th, 2015 and he said it was just swelling. He didn't even come close to me, didn't press on it, just took pictures and released me from his care. I said that I loved the front but that my hips looked weird and that I would like them smoothed out. He said I could come back in October and he would fix them. In the meantime, I saw my regular doctor for something else and showed him my progress and he said that I had a seroma. I emailed the photo and then got a run around for a YEAR until I was able to get in to see him. (I had to get bitchy to do that.) He said to make ANOTHER appointment to have it drained and he would fix the dog ear but ONLY on the left. When I went in it was to a normal exam room (non-sterile, carpet, drapes etc,) to have the procedure done. He poked me with a rather large needle all the way into the muscle of my abdominal wall. Nothing came out so they got ready to fix the dog ear. I told him that there was something not right on my lower abdomen even though nothing came out. He then said he wanted me to see a colleague for a second opinion. ANOTHER time that I thinkI am finally getting something done but end up just wasting time and money. I go see the other doctor and he says I have a fluid filled cyst and dog ears and that he can fix it but it will cost between $3,500 and $7,000. I could have it done in stages under a local anesthesia because it was too extensive to do all at once as too much local anesthesia can kill you. It sounded like he would be able to make things better. Once Dr Grado got his opinion, he wanted me to come see him again to make a plan. Since he had just seen me I wanted to discuss over email but he refused, so I had to take another day off work to go see him. Once there he said that he would do the procedure in his office under a local. This gave me GREAT CONCERN knowing the other doctor said it could kill me and having everything opened up in non-sterile office. I decided at that time he did NOT have my best interest at heart and even though I paid for the procedure once already, I couldn't take the chance of letting him try to fix it. I TOTALLY LOST ALL TRUST!!!

It was painful but worth it! I'd do it again if I had to! I'm 19 months post op and love them! I was a AA before and got 350ccs of saline and am now a C!