Clark Schierle, MD, PhD, FACS

If i was living anywhere else i would fly just for dr.clark he genuinely cares for you from start to finish, I didn’t like my tt scar and he made sure i was a happy patient i would never forget the treatment and result i got.

My tummy journey started off as a joke between my husband and I. I had been working out and eating clean(ish) for months and would lose weight but never any significant inches in the belly. So when my husband got a big bonus at work, I jokingly told him that he could sign the check over to me to get a tummy tuck and/or lipo...to my surprise, he said "OK". I have had two BIG babies via c-section...9.5lbs (13 years) & 8.8lbs (9 years) and I'm only 4'11, there will be no more buns in this oven, so I wanted to be a MILF again...

I drug my feet on scheduling a consultation just because I wasn't sure I wanted to undertake the downtime required to recuperate...the timing was just never right...my in-laws aren't at their healthiest and I didn't want to be another burden to my husband. Finally, he threatened to spend the bonus on something else, so I started making my plans. :)

In October, I decided to schedule two consultations...a few days apart. I was debating whether I needed just lipo or a TT. I also had fatty underarms, so I needed that to go too. The first was with Dr. Dillon. The offices were clean, the office coordinator was well decorated (it's remote in the burbs in kinda a strip mall of businesses), but the doctor was not available when I visited. Instead, the coordinator, Elizabeth walked me through everything, and said I would benefit from a mini tummy tuck with lipo 360 (no MR)they would throw in the underarms for free. The procedure would be under local anesthesia and they have a surgical/recovery room in the back of the office. It looked clean and state of the art. They have associations with the local hospital in case of emergency. The total quote was ~9,500. A few things stuck out to me...1) I never spoke directly with the doctor, although we tried to skype upon my request...this was a red flag for me...I need to speak to the person operating not his assistant. 2) I didn't like the fact that the surgical room was in the office, perhaps it's a best practice, but seemed kinda weird. 3) there was no one else in the office when I went, just me and Elizabeth. Maybe I went on a slow day but where the hell are your other patients??? It's a no for me, dog.

So I moved on to Dr. Schierle. Now he's affiliated with my primary doctor network/hospital and I know his work...he removed some breast tissue from my underarms a few years back and the scars healed nicely. I recalled that he was super smart and his bed side manner was very comforting and he listened to my opinion. Like Dr. Dillon's, the office is nicely decorated, but this one is inside of Northwestern hospital. Dr. Schierle came in, greeted me with familiarity as if he remembered me and began listening to my wants. He recommended a full tummy tuck with/MR and lipo of the flanks...whew that sounded like a lot, but I'll take his word for it. The procedure would be under general anesthesia and would be performed in a luxury surgical center down the street. Dr. Schierle is up-to-date on the latest techniques such as SMART Lipo and performs drainless TT (score!). His quote was 10,968...a bit more expensive but more work and easier recovery. I asked for a repeat customer discount and they were kind enough to take off $500 bringing my total to 10,468. They would throw in the underarms for free...SOLD, where do I sign.

I put down my deposit and my surgery was scheduled for 12/6/19. This is a time at work where things started slowing down, so I could work from home as needed during recovery and my kids would be out of school so they could help me and I wouldn't have to worry about getting them to/from school. I was cautiously optimistic...

Updated on 7 Jan 2020:
My surgery was schedule for 2pm on 12/6/20 at 900 N Michigan Surgical Center. The facility is state of the art. My husband and I checked in around 12:30 and paid my surgical balance. The doc gets $6500 which I paid separately a week prior, so I had to cough up $3968. IMPORTANT: You MUST have someone to drive you home after, this is actually a requirement. Shortly after, I was called back to undress and take a pregnancy test (HINT: it was negative), then they let my husband come back to hang out. They were running behind a bit, so we waited for about 30-45 mins…considering that I hadn’t eaten since 11pm the night before, I was eager to get started so my stomach could stop growling. The nurse came in and started an IV, shortly after, I met the anesthesiologist, she was nice although I can’t remember her name. Lastly, Dr. Schierle came in along with his assistant, we chatted a bit, he even talked to my kids on Skype to introduce himself and let them know he’d take good care of me. Then he started with the markings. We talked about a TT with drains and without. I wanted without and he said he does them all the time, so that wasn’t an issue. He did warn that there is an increased risk of a seroma, in which case, he would have to remove with a needle…sounds scary but I was willing to take that chance, I REALLY didn’t want drains after reading the feedback on this site. We also talked about belly button sizing, I didn’t want a slit belly button, I asked him for more realistic sizing. Shortly after, the anesthesiologist returned and hooked me up with the good stuff, I remember telling my husband I love him and they were rolling me out of the room.
Next thing I remember is waking up ~2hrs later and sitting on the couch to get dressed. I was already in my binder for my belly and wrapped across my chest to compress my underarms. The nurse gave me some cookies and apple juice, my husband helped me with my pants, jacket & shoes. I was shivering pretty aggressively which the nurse says is normal as the anesthesia is wearing off…it stopped after 30 mins. I sat in a wheelchair and the nurse pushed me to the car, my husband drove and fell asleep.
When I got home, my husband helped me out of the car, I wasn’t in pain but things were TIGHT, so obviously I couldn’t stand up straight. I immediately got in the bed, my husband went to get my NORCO prescription and food, but I wasn’t hungry anymore…I guess my stomach got tired of growling and gave up. My hubby was afraid of rolling over on me during the night, so he slept on the couch, my daughter slept in the bed (she’s 9) with me, set the clock for 4am so I could take my meds and woke up in the middle of the night to help me to the bathroom…she’s quite the little nurse. I quickly realized that the bed was not for me, and I retreated to the chaise in my room…it is there I would remain for the next 2 weeks.

Updated on 7 Jan 2020:
I pretty much pee’d every hour on the hour. The nurse at the surgical center told me to drink lots of water to help with swelling…roger that! I love water anyways, so I was drinking 1/2 - 1 gallon a day. I still wasn’t super hungry but had to force myself to take a few bites…BEST DIET EVER. Drinking so much water alleviated the constipation. I had zero problems.

Since I didn’t have drains, I was able to shower 24 hours post op. When I removed my binder I was super excited, the gut was GONE, y’all! Who’s that sexy thang in the mirror…that’s me! The tummy was flat…but super swollen which was hard to wrap my head around. I stepped on the scale and I was +3lbs and I measured my waist as +4 inches from my original measurements. It’s OK, I know its temporary. My scar had steri-strips which I did not remove until after 2 weeks. My belly button was suspect, but I’ll wait to heal before I pass judgement. All of my stretch marks are now just right below my belly button. YASSS.

Now the areas where he did lipo (flanks and underarms)…honey chile, they were black, blue and purple. I don’t usually bruise easily so I know Dr. Schierle must have put some muscle into it. I looked like I got into a fight and lost…bad. These areas are super sore to touch and hard. The incision itself isn’t sore though. Every few hours, my son holds my hands and we do a lap around the kitchen island to keep the blood flowing. Can't wait until I see the full results.

Updated on 7 Jan 2020:
I’m standing upright and only taking pain meds at nighttime. Showering daily and still taking my laps. Still don’t have much of an appetite but I did eat some Chipotle with black beans and it gave my so much gas. The gas is trapped in my belly and moving around like a baby. I really need to poot but I can’t push it out fast enough...the agony. Finally I was relieved. Moral of this story: Don’t be like me, save yourself and stay away from gassy foods.

Updated on 7 Jan 2020:
Today was my first post-op appointment. Hubby drove me since I still can’t drive yet. I have a truck so getting in and out of the car is a task. Walking into the office is taking much more effort than I anticipated…I’m winded from a few steps. Dr. Schierle looked me over, he seemed impressed with himself on my results. He says I’m healing much better than most. He assures me that my belly button will get better.

I ordered myself a faja from amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HQRMHP6/refppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s02?ieUTF8&psc1, when I get home, I attempt to put it on but quickly realize this is not a one woman job. It literally took a whole family of 4 to get into this thing. I’m holding the top, hubby holding the middle and the kids taking turns trying to zip…baby, the struggle was REAL. But once in it, it was pretty comfortable. It’s open at the va ja ja so going #1 was no problem. But for #2 I removed. I keep it on 23 hrs a day. I wash it every other day.
Updated on 7 Jan 2020:
Back to work…from home. I couldn’t imagine commuting but sitting in my chair on conference calls is doable. I started drinking pineapple water after seeing someone on YouTube recommending it. It’s supposed to detox and keep the swelling down…I think it’s working.



Updated on 7 Jan 2020:
I’m more swollen this week. I need to double down on the pineapple water. I haven’t been eating/drinking so clean due to the holidays so that may have something to do with it. I finally take the stern-strips off my scar, it looks pretty good. It’s very low and thin. I notice ends of the scar are a bit discolored, kinda like when you scrape your knee to the white meat. I’ll start scar therapy today which include rotating aloe vera+coconut oil and coco butter during the day and using mederma gel and scar away tape at night. During the day, I do a firm massage on the scar to make it flat.

I’m back in the bed and boy does it feel good. Sleeping in this chair gets real old real fast. Today I notice that my belly button sutures have dissolved but it’s not healed…in fact it seems to be opening on the inside and the hole seems to be closing as it heals. I panic and clean it with peroxide and put some Neosporin in it. I immediately reach out to Dr. Schierle’s office and connect with Kendall and Lexy who said I should use Aquarphor instead and lightly pack with gauze. Ugh, this is not the belly button of my dreams.

Updated on 7 Jan 2020:
I’ll be 5 weeks on 1/10/20. I started back commuting to work this week. I’ve been wearing my faja underneath my clothes…man this is restrictive…I need to take my time walking. My day is pretty uneventful, no pain although I’m swollen from all the walking especially in the evenings. I have my second post-op appointment this week, hopefully I get cleared to work out, I miss the gym. My belly button is on the mend :)

My lipo areas are STILL very swollen & hard. I massage them daily to soften them up.

I can’t wait to see the final result. I've started eating clean so that I can shed about 10-15lbs, I’m headed on a beach vacation in Feb and I need to get my Baywatch on! Here's what I'm working with as of today.

Updated on 7 Jan 2020:
before/after pics - 5 weeks post. These are taken in the evening and I'm a bit swollen. To date I'm happy with the results, I can't wait until this healing process is O-V-E-R. I just graduated into a smaller faja so I know it won't be long. I'll take more pics when I hit the 2 month mark to document the changes.

I initially booked a consult with Dr. Schierle based on a friend's referral and his top notch credentials (MD, PhD, UCLA, Harvard) but have returned to him because of his incredible patience, insight and expertise in the field. He listens well and truly has the best interest of his patient's at heart. His entire staff is kind, talented, and competent and I could not have had a better experience (or result!) with Dr. Schierle and his practice.

I've been contemplating an augmentation for over ten years. I finally decide to go through with the procedure but realized that the search for a doctor was incredibly difficult. I would read reviews where people would constantly say, "Do your homework." And I tried but it was still a daunting and almost overwhelming task with the number of surgeons out there.

One of my friends had an augmentation and I figured I could ask for her advice. She is the one who recommended Dr. Schierle to me. I bombarded her with a ton of questions and she even let me see her breasts. Dr. Schierle's work spoke for itself. I immediately made an appointment for a consultation.

Dr. Schierle and his PA Lexy were so great. They answered all my questions and had great bedside manner. I never felt rushed or pressured into anything. Whenever I would email Lexy, she would respond the same day, even when she was out of office. I thought I had settled on a size but then changed my mind. When I had mentioned this to Kendall, the practice manager, she said I could come back in to try on sizes again.

At my consultation, I chose a surgery date that was one month away, just to allow myself time to plan and request time off of work. I'm not sure if they had earlier dates available but I feel like one month out is a pretty short time to wait and I appreciated that I was able to get it done in such a quick time frame.

I still could not decide between sizes and I left it up to Dr. Schierle to decide in the operating room. I had my surgery ten weeks ago and couldn't be more pleased. I wish I had done this sooner. My goal was to even out my proportions and my friends that do know I had the augmentation say that the sizing is perfect for my frame.

For those that are contemplating an augmentation, I would definitely recommend Dr. Schierle!

If you are looking for a perfectionist, who is literally a genius and a great human being, save yourself the $2-3k I spent interviewing 12 over plastic surgeons over 3 years and go straight to Dr. Clark Schierle. He shines in every way, but here’s why I chose him out of the biggest names in Chicago and New York plastic surgery:
1.) he cared about my structural makeup and making sure everything really fit together. I could tell when he looked at me, he saw the bigger picture of what fit my body naturally, and balanced it with listening to my goals and vision. No other surgeon could be bothered being so thoughtful about harmony. And that is the definition of beauty my friends.
2.) my surgery was the shortest quoted for the same work (tummy, lipo to 2 spots, breasts). This is important because the more time you are under general anesthesia, the bigger the risks and harder recovery.
3.) he is simply a genius, his German and mandarin are on point, and he juggles fire. Ok, not really big on my lists of must haves to get my body back, but he went to Harvard at 16. And he’s a humble awesome human being who raves about his family. This is the kind of human you always want to deal with.
4.) I have serious anxiety to medical procedures. To the point of needing to lay down when I get my blood drawn. I don’t know how I had kids or will survive old age or disease, but this is elective and took a lot of courage. Not sure what’s going on with me there but he was so patient to the point where I might have one day overcome some of my fears by choosing Dr. Schierle as a surgeon. He was gracious and patient through my list of 23 questions at my 3rd or 4th appointment.
5.) certifications, board memberships, writing articles, research. He’s in the know, on top of his game and I could tell he was always striving to advance his profession and skills. Highly involved and exceptional in his field.
I am only 9 days out. But I already love my results and am recovering quickly, thanks to his skills. I have been told by a few nurses who cared for me in recovery period following surgery (*side note* highly reccomend getting private nurse and green smoothies at the four seasons) from other “big name” plastic surgeons offices that it is the BEST breast lift (no implants but they LOOK that good that they could be) and tummy tuck/healing they have ever seen.
If plastic surgeons were to dawn hero capes and be life saving characters, Dr. Schierle would have one. I feel lucky to have gotten to know his work first hand at this point in his career. It will only get better, and it’s damn near perfect. I am not easy to please, as my expectations are through-the-roof, but I could not have been more happy to have worked with Dr. Schierle.

I am three weeks post-op from a rhinoplasty, breast revision, and scar revision with Dr. Schierle. I could not be happier with my results. I had been considering a rhinoplasty for some time and was convinced I needed to go to L.A. A friend of mine, also a doctor, recommended I first see Dr. Schierle and I am very glad I did. I'm one of the most particular people I know and Dr. Schierle truly delivered. He and Lexy listened to my concerns, were prompt with email replies, and showed compassion. The whole staff was supportive and kind. I was very unsure about the rhinoplasty as I wanted subtle improvements. Dr. Schierle spent three hours in total, at three different consultations, patiently listening to me, looking at pictures, hearing my concerns and explaining in detail the procedure. I knew by the third consult that we were on the same page. He told me if my expectations were a 10 he could promise an "8." I think he gave me the 10. My only regret is not giving him a little more artistic freedom with the rhinoplasty. I was adamant it not be turned up at the end, and he heard my feelings on the matter, but I wish in hindsight I would've listened more to his advice. It's good to go in with an idea of what you want but you should remain open to his expertise. I'm now convinced of his skill level as a surgeon and I'd recommend him for any procedure you're considering. As far as the breast revision, I'd had implants placed in 2016 (different Chicago surgeon) that were causing me some issues; I thought the issues were minor. Dr. Schierle seemed sure I had the wrong implant for me (old ones were textured) and he was completely right. Turns out the issues I thought were minor were actually significant (one had ruptured) and I'm so glad I trusted his opinion that the revision was necessary. I didn't realize how much better my implants could be. I'm thrilled with the improvements. He listened to my concerns about size, my demand that they not drop post op, and again just delivered results that were in this case beyond my expectations. He and Lexy make a great team and you are in skilled, compassionate hands at this practice. It's an unnerving process to go through cosmetic surgery but they've been great before, during, and after procedures. Clearly, I cannot recommend them enough.

Dr. Schierle and his team are incredible! He did an amazing job with my procedure and has a great bedside manner. The staff went above and beyond to ensure I was healing and to answer all my questions. I highly recommend this practice!!

I am day five into my tummy tuck. He did an amazing job on my body. I can already see immediate results. My stomach is flat, contoured and absolutely gorgeous. I couldn’t be more happy. My hubby, who was on the fence about the surgery, said, “Wow, that is incredible. Al women who have children should have this option if they wanted it.”

Updated on 15 Sep 2018:
My body feels like it’s mine again. Sharing before and after. I highly suggest Dr. Schierle and his team. I am sharing my 12 week, 6 week and before pics. My recovery has been fairly easy compared to stories I have read on the net. I am so happy I made this decision. I have absolutely no regrets. I am able to wear clothing I was previously unable to wear do to always trying to hide my stomach. I have already been to the beach and wore a bikini. .

He is the absolute BEST! Dr. Schierle did my breast augmentation and there truly aren’t enough words to express how happy I am with the results. I naturally have very small breasts. At 5’7”, 120 pounds, my chest wasn’t proportional to the rest of my body. I constantly needed dresses and tops tailored, and bathing suits never fit right. During my consultation I expressed I wanted a very natural look, not too big or heavy. We decided on 200 CC implants through the armpit. They are the PERFECT size, and exactly what I wanted. In fact, I just bought a dress for my friends wedding and it fits like a glove – no alterations necessary! And, because Dr. Schierle went through my armpit, the scars aren’t visible ?

His PA Lexy is also incredible! I was extremely nervous before surgery and had about 500 questions. Lexy answered every single one of them and calmed my fears completely. Overall, my experience was wonderful and I love the outcome. I highly recommend Dr. Schierle if you want incredible results!

Liposuction: I had my Abdomen, love handles, inner thighs and the fat pockets just under my butt done. I wasn’t overweight going into this procedure, I just wanted body sculpting. As an athletic 30 year old, I had those stubborn spots that never seemed to go away. I told Dr. Schierle that less is more. I wanted my outcome to appear more natural, and that is exactly what I got. I couldn’t be more pleased. I felt like he was very gentle and gave a lot of attention to detail while operating.

Liposuction recovery: Post-op I had minimal bruising and swelling. For about 3 days following surgery I felt sore, like I had worked out harder than I ever had in my life. I had to wear a compression suit 23H/7D for the first few weeks. That was reduced to 18H/6D-7D for the following 3(ish) weeks. I suggest wearing it as much as possible. It will help shape your final results and speeds up recovery. It also feels more comfortable to wear the suit. When not wearing it during those first 2-3 weeks I felt like a lobster out of its shell. You will immediately notice an uncomfortable numbness/tingly feeling when not wearing it. After a few weeks, you will also feel itchy, but you must resist the urge to scratch the areas that had work done. Depending on how many CC's you are having removed your body might be initially the same size as before the lipo. I had very little removed so this was the case for me. Basically you will swell to roughly the size you were before the lipo. It takes your body time to drain the fluid and clear the damaged fat cells. I started to notice partial results after three months, and significant results after 6-7 months. Full results after a year. I do not have any cannula scars or concave areas. Dr. Schierle exceeded my expectations. Compared to the labiaplasty, liposuction isn’t initially painful. But the long-term recovery is quite annoying. You will have to refrain from athletic activity for a few months. I tried to do aerial silks after about three months and the compression from the silks caused swelling.