Dr. Welk was honest and was great to work with. I wanted to work through my insurance so a lot of the "high end" surgeons in the Seattle/Bellevue area are not willing to do a reduction through insurance, I didn't have that luxury. Dr. Welk and his staff made the process easy and after several visits (due to my insecurities) I had my reduction done in March 2023. I've never looked back ... the first thing I noticed (apparently before leaving the parking garage after my surgery) I told my husband that my back and shoulders already felt better. I was a 34G, Dr. Welk took almost 1lb off of each breast. I'm now supposedly at 34DD but I feel more like a D or a C and I'm find with it. A little shocked initially from the difference but happy, happy now. I don't need to wear a bra, never thought that would ever happen again in my life. People write that it's life changing and it is. From wearing different clothes to being able to run across the street and not have to hold everything down (you ladies know what I mean). In complete transparency they are not like they looked when I was 22 but my quality of life and how I feel about myself and how I look in clothes is 1000% better. My husband says I look younger, my breasts are now "proportional" to the rest of my body. It took me awhile to 'pull the trigger' Dr. Welk was patient and I'm so very glad I finally did this for myself.
I sought out Dr.Welk after my friend recommended him. She had a double mastectomy years ago and Dr Welk performed her reconstruction just a few years ago. I had a consult and immediately felt 100% confident that if anyone was going to do this, it would be him. I love his strong, no nonsense presence and keen eye and application for for what I wanted. I wanted to regain what I had lost in volume and “ fluff” after having children and gain/ losing 40 lbs. I was immediately pleased that he was on the same page with me in terms of shooting for natural, elegant, age appropriate results ( breast lift and augmentation). But more importantly, strongly committed to elegant, natural, and age appropriate results. He is committed to details and strongly encourages your input on desired results ( photos). He was committed to aligning my expected results with his high standards. Which produced exquisite results. I am grateful for his honesty and his strong commitment to congruence in what I pictured and what I wanted. I looked at many surgeon’s galleries and websites, and the more I looked, the more I realized his work was the best. I also noticed many websites having a chat feature and clearly working to sell a packaged product, whereas Dr. Welk felt more like we were working on commissioned art. I also want to commend the surgical staff. On surgery day I was extremely nervous. The care and support I received was unparalleled. When walking into the O.R I felt a panic attack creeping in and the wonderful anesthesiologist ( Betty) and her assistant, quickly responded and took charge. The best way I can describe it is that it was a “tactical take off”. I felt so safe and in great hands. Everyone was so professional, respectful, courteous, and empathetic I am so thankful I found Dr. Welk. His work is as he promised and envisioned. Which takes years and years of experience and observation and knowledge. He is absolutely excellent. Updated on 7 Oct 2022: I sought out Dr.Welk after my friend recommended him. She had a double mastectomy many years ago and Dr Welk performed her reconstruction in 2019. I had a consult and immediately felt 100% confident that if anyone was going to do this, it would be him. I love his strong, no nonsense presence and keen eye and application for for what I wanted. I wanted to regain what I had lost in volume and “ fluff” after having children and gain/ losing 40 lbs. I was immediately pleased that he listened well and attentively. But more importantly, he was strongly committed to elegant, natural, and age appropriate results. He strongly encouraged my input on desired results ( photos of what I wanted and not wanted)). He was committed to aligning my expected results with his high standards and expected due diligence on my part. Which produced exquisite results. I am grateful for his honesty and his strong commitment to congruence in what I pictured and what I wanted. I looked at many surgeon’s galleries and websites, and the more I looked, the more I realized his work was the best for my goals. I also noticed many websites having a chat feature and clearly working to sell a packaged product, whereas Dr. Welk felt more like we were working on commissioned art. I also want to commend the surgical staff. On surgery day I was extremely nervous. The care and support I received was unparalleled. When walking into the O.R I felt a panic attack creeping in and the wonderful anesthesiologist ( Betty) and her assistant, quickly responded and took charge. The best way I can describe it is that it was a “tactical take off”. I felt so safe and in great hands. Everyone was so professional, respectful, courteous, and empathetic. I am so thankful I found Dr. Welk. His work is as he promised and envisioned. Which takes years and years of experience and observation and knowledge. He is absolutely excellent.
My journey to finding Dr. Drew Welk felt serendipitous. About six months ago I started hearing his name during random conversations between girlfriends, strangers, and other medical professionals. Each time they would say, "Dr. Welk is the best plastic surgeon in the Seattle area." I didn't think anything of it at the time because I already had two breast augmentations and lifts (also known as augmentation mammoplasty and mastopexy). For reference, I used Dr. Sepehr Egrari for the first and DR. Phillip Kierney for the second. So, I just assumed that my journey of perfecting my breasts was over until I was diagnosed with breast cancer on November 25, 2020. I began treatment on January 11, 2021, with a bilateral (double) skin sparing (not nipple-sparing) mastectomy. During the surgery and in anticipation of reconstruction two weeks later, my Surgical Oncologist left my existing saline implants in place to keep the skin stretched for my plastic surgeon to replace them with tissue expanders. During the surgery, however, my right implant ruptured. To make matters worse, two days after my mastectomy I found out that my plastic surgeon was out of network and my reconstruction was subsequently canceled. The circumstance and timing were fortuitous. I remembered Dr. Welk's name and immediately phoned his office. The team was incredibly empathetic and with urgency, Dr. Welk's Patient Care Coordinator, Judy squeezed me into his schedule that Friday for consultation with surgery the following Tuesday (just eight days after my mastectomy).From the very first time I met with Dr. Welk, I felt safe. He was compassionate towards me, validated my concerns, and took immediate action to take over my care. I call him Superman! He has this way of communicating that is both gentle and assertive--he takes the time to educate and explain, setting realistic expectations but also helping to minimize my anxiety along the way. One of the first things that he did during my consultation asked for my phone so he could add his phone number into my Contacts. He is attentive and supportive and I trust him implicitly. We agreed that because he had never seen me prior to my mastectomy, he would have to make decisions about my reconstruction (e.g., size, type of implant, etc.) while he was operating--the ultimate exercise in letting go of trying to perfect!During the day of my surgery, Dr. Welk and his medical team were positive and energetic, even though I was their last surgery of the day. As nervous as I was, the team took great care in calming me. As a nurse, Marilyn hooked me up, she and the team cleverly latched onto a topic that I showed interest in to help distract me. Bettie, the Anesthesiologist, even took a few extra seconds to hold my cheeks after placing the oxygen mask over my face. It was little things like this that made me feel comfortable and cared for and I will never forget it.While I still have several surgeries ahead before the reconstruction process is complete, I can already see that my results will be beautiful. Dr. Welk chose saline implants (bypassing tissue expanders!) with subpectoral placement (under the muscle). I'm even happier with the new, slightly smaller size that he chose because they fit my frame far better. His hands are skilled and the pain has been minimal. In fact, his incisions and stitching technique are so precise and barely visible that I have asked him to revise the scars from my previous surgeries. He's that good. If you're looking for a plastic surgeon for cosmetic improvements or reconstruction, he is truly the best. I will never go to anyone else and I'm already dreading the day that he will inevitably retire. He is by far, the best doctor that I have ever had.
I have been afraid for over 10 years to do a breast reduction I had several opportunities and could not do it due to my severe anxiety. I am proud to say Dr. Welk did my surgery 3 week ago and I am so excited about my future!! I did not have drains or need narcotics and so relieved about how easy the recovery is. I am still swollen but love the results too. Dr Welk is a pro with a lot of experience and his staff and him were a blessing for me.
Dr. Welk is the best Seattle Plastic Surgeon, from my experience. I had bilateral breast cancer and saw Dr. Welk right after my diagnosis. He was so kind and took the time to educate my husband and I on what to look out for when deciding on my cancer team. I ended up with bilateral mastectomies and I'm so thankful I chose him as my Plastic Surgeon. He's finally putting me back together again after cancer treatment. He's direct, so I trust him which has helped me make better decisions about my care. He's also completely accessible during the process. I highly recommend him.
I had double mastectomy with reconstruction by Dr. Welk. He was very realistic about what could and couldn't be done. I interviewed several Seattle/Bellevue reconstruction surgeons and after meeting him, I knew he was my guy. Some mention his bedside manner not being great but he is a straight shooter and I found him to be wonderful and caring. His before and after portfolio of reconstruction were the best I'd seen and the proof is in the pudding. He pretty much had to rebuild me starting from a chest that looked like it had been in a war zone. I cannot tell you how happy I am with the results. They look amazing! Clearly the most talented reconstruction surgeon in the area.
I am 32 and had a double mastectomy with additional tissue take out from my chest wall post mastectomy. I had my expanders put in about 3 weeks ago and my girlfriends thought they were the final product. Dr Welk is a strait shooter and will tell you what to expect. His details, clarity and work have lead me to believe he is the best in Seattle. Thank you Dr. Welk!
Just had my 4th surgery. Have had, now 3 sets of implants. One surgery to remove implants, without replacing. I used Dr Welk in Seattle-who is amazing. He did a beautiful job of fixing a botched implant removal 3 years ago by Dr Grenley. I would recommend Dr Welk for anything you need done. He is professional, and right to the point. Doesn't give any unrealistic expectations, but has done extensive repair work on a lot of women, and they all look great!
My aunt had this procedure 20 years ago and had a great result. I started seeing photos of myself that horrified me. Knowing I have two daughters in serious relationships, I started thinking about those wedding photos that last for generations. I had confidence that I could endure the recovery and have a good result. As for my results, I could not be more thrilled. My facelift and eyelid surgery have generated comments such as "You look fresh/fantastic/forty again (I'm 57)/in your 30's/gorgeous!" Those in the know agree that my result is very natural, I just look like a younger, vital version of myself.
I had very deflated breasts after weaning my daughter and went from a B+ cup to an A. After surgery, I'm a C and very happy with the results and the experience with my surgeon. I would recommend him to anyone in the Pacific Northwest.I'm an avid runner and was concerned about getting back into it. I didn't want it to be obvious that I had had implants either. I'll wait the two weeks, but I feel well enough to resume normal activiteis already.
