Jennifer Weintraub, MD

Part 1: my experience with Dr. Weintraub of Duet Plastic Surgery.

I had 3 different consults and picked Dr. Weintraub even though she was the furthest from my home, because I loved the aesthetic results I saw on Duet's website, and felt that she had taken my health history more seriously than the other doctors. I also appreciated that she and Dr. Lim were a team in the OR.

At my pre-op, I felt she was clear about her expectations while also listening to me well. We had a serious, in-depth conversation about how muscle repair related to fibro and another aspect of my health history. She had some concerns that it could negatively impact my health and that fibro would make it a very difficult recovery, and I reminded her that feeling stronger in my body is what had brought me to this surgery in the first place (more on that in the next "chapter"). After more discussion, we reached an agreement on how she would handle this in the OR and what my responsibilities were after surgery to protect my health (non-fibro health aspect). She also reiterated that my breast lift would involve a reduction to one side as I had about a cup size difference between my breasts.

Day of surgery, I'd expected to be nervous but was actually feeling calm. If I had been nervous, her demeanor would've been helpful. We just chatted about our kids while she marked me up, so that would've distracted me from any nerves, I think. The nurse and anesthesiologist at the surgery center also had reassuring demeanors and their professionalism also instilled confidence.

Post-op, she's also been reassuring and encouraging, and quick to respond with advice when I had questions about my recovery. Commuting far from my home for appointments has been a pain but worth it for the faith I had in the practice's safety and the results. I will say I'm glad she's within driving distance though. I wouldn't want to have a surgeon too far to go to for follow-up if there were complications.

She extended the scar around my hips further than expected in order to achieve a good shape, which she told me when I was in recovery. It's exactly what I would have wanted her to do, but I know some people would probably have a problem with waking up with more scarring than they expected. I would guess most plastic surgeons would make the same decision under the same circumstances so I would recommend anyone who would absolutely not want this done (not just patients of Dr. Weintraub but anyone) should have a big conversation with their doctor about exactly how much of a scar you are okay with.

I'll let the results speak for themselves. I still have swelling, but wow. I'm still in disbelief about how good I look and excited to see the final results.

Updated on 29 Dec 2022:
Some of this is fibromyalgia specific but TBH a lot of it applies to anyone. Maybe some of it is over-sharing but I'm trying to give info that I searched for and had trouble finding. The short version is that recovery has been a lot easier than I expected (but to be fair, I was expecting it to be really bad).

I spent years thinking about a breast lift and/or tummy tuck but worried about the risks and also thought, "I don't need any more pain in my life so why would I have elective surgery?" Then, I was researching muscle repair surgery because I figured maybe I could reduce some non-fibro back pain by helping my abs, and upon learning that it's usually done as part of a tummy tuck and it's usually the most painful part of the tummy tuck, I was in for the whole thing. After Dr. Weintraub assured me that the breast lift would be the least painful part, I tacked that on too. She recommended that I see my neurologist to make a plan to use my existing gabapentin prescription as part of my post-op pain management. This was a huge help and I definitely recommend it if you have any pain condition that you're using gabapentin for.

It turned out that for me, the muscle repair was not the most painful part. I guess this shouldn't surprise me, but I've had the most pain where I have the most fibro pain - across my hips - so the flank lipo has actually been the most painful. The muscle repair pretty much only hurt mildly unless I sneezed, coughed, or laughed, which fortunately I didn't do much of (I acted like it was 2020 leading up to my surgery to avoid getting sick and avoided watching comedies in recovery). And of course I also didn't use my stomach muscles for anything. Now at 4 weeks it's the same. I hardly feel the muscle repair, still very tender over my hips, but just to the touch. It no longer hurts if nothing's bumping it. Feels bruised but visible bruises resolved long ago.

I had exparel and I'm sure that helped. I did have some mild dull pain for a few days in the muscle repair right after that wore off, and also strange wiggly/tension feelings through my abdomen. I started having more pain around incision sites on day 5. I had a little bit of electrical/vibrational sensation in the skin all over my belly starting also starting day 5, and a slight burning sensation sometimes anywhere that was having swelling. I think that lasted about a week, maybe 2. I had swelling a lot below my armpits from the braline lipo, that seemed to get trapped by my first post-op bra which had a tight band, so that got better after I swapped out for some seamless post-op bras without a separate elastic band.

A few non-pain recovery notes -

I was SO hungry, not in stomach but in body sensation. Sometimes suddenly and with nausea/shakiness. For the first week, I was eating and drinking every time I was awake b/c my stomach also felt full easily. This all has gradually lessened. I still think I'm a little hungrier than normal even now at 4 weeks post. Having protein shakes to grab helped a lot during those sudden horrible episodes.

I got my period on day 3. I had drains in the pubic area and had been going without underwear. Using very loose underwear that I could keep down around my hips so it wouldn't touch the drain sites (because it hurt when they moved), with pads that I had to change very infrequently was helpful. I am normally a menstrual cup kind of girl and there is no way I would have been able to reach in for that on day 3.

Speaking of which, reaching to wipe was the worst part of pooping. I managed to avoid constipation and actually going didn't hurt at all, but reaching was hard! Felt that in the muscle repair and I think tenderness in the skin whether due to swelling or just the repositioning. If I had to do it over I might have bought one of those reach assistance "toilet aid" devices. Whew. I took citrucel starting a week before surgery and started docusate sodium the day after and I'm sure that helped with avoiding constipation.

It has been taking more time for my scabs to go away than I expected, but Dr. Weintraub has reassured me via photos that everything is healing well. I'll attach a few photos here b/c it seems like most of the photos I found were of problematic healing but I think it's nice to see normal healing too since it is a little scary not knowing what's normal.

Here's a little more about recovery especially in terms of what I needed for pain relief -
Day of surgery and day 2, I took percocet every 6 hrs and double my usual Rx of gabapentin. Returned to the office for removal of breast lift drains on day 1.
Days 3 and 4, I only needed tylenol every 4 hrs plus double my usual Rx of gabapentin during the day, and took percocet once at bedtime and once upon waking overnight.
From the 5th day after surgery onward, I didn't need any percocet, but was still using Tylenol every 4 hrs and double my normal amount of gabapentin.
Day 9 was my post-op, tummy drains and all tape removed. Dr. gave me the go-ahead to alternate tylenol and advil instead of just using tylenol.
Day 14 starting to turn another corner, started slowly weaning back down to my normal amount of gabapentin.
Day 16 really starting to feel like I can do everything normally as long as they are not up too high, down too low, or lifting things I’m not supposed to.
Around 3 weeks, needed a couple days of a lot of rest after doing too much around the house. Still having a lot of tenderness at lipo areas. Only taking tylenol in the morning and at bedtime, and advil once in the middle.
At 4 weeks, other than lifting I'm pretty much self-sufficient. Taking tylenol or advil 0-2x per 24 hrs and I'm at my normal gabapentin dose.

As far as my initial decision? I do think it's helping my lower back, even though I'm not active enough yet to really know if it's helping me feel more stable. Sitting around as much as I've had to during recovery would normally have my lower back extremely unhappy and it's doing better than I'd expect. But we'll see how it responds once I start picking up heavy things again. That and balance are my two big questions. So, fingers crossed on the function piece, but aesthetically alone it's already worth the recovery, even with fibro.

Updated on 11 Jan 2023:
I'm feeling mostly like myself! Almost normal amounts of energy (for me anyway) and haven't been taking any tylenol at all for almost the past 2 weeks. Still have some pain over the hips and compression is still very much my friend. I've been getting the zappy zings around the incisions but they're more surprising than anything. I only have one place left with a major scab refusing to shed, and a couple other teeny tiny spots. My back still feels better than pre-op so I'm happy to be getting that benefit I wanted.

As far as the aesthetics at this point - The scars are all nice and thin, some places more than others - I can't believe how thin my vertical breast lift scars are!! I hope they stay that way, and still of course I'm looking forward to the scars fading. My breasts are getting a nicer shape, though there's a little puckering near the scar on the left breast that I hope will somehow smooth out. I wouldn't mind it at all but it's in the cleavage that would show with a plunge swimsuit, which I like to wear. I think it's probably related to stretch marks from puberty and nursing, but I'm going to ask my surgeon if there's anything that I can do to help it smooth out or if it just will with time, and if not, if there's anything (cheap) she could do. You can also see that my waistline is a little bit asymmetrical, but that's mostly down to my ribcage being formed differently on each side for my whole life, combined with some asymmetrical swelling.

Updated on 11 Mar 2024:
Overall, I'm really happy with my decision to have this surgery and with the doctor I chose. Here's how things have gone lately.

Pros:
Core muscles: OMG my back does feel so much better. At least 75%. And I definitely have better balance. This is HUGE because this is what I wanted more than anything.
Clothes: It's so nice for them to fit well. I don't have pain at the waistband skin anymore, and bras do fit both boobs instead of overflowing one and gapping the other.
Sex: I am less self-conscious (though hubby never cared).
Confidence: I'm less self-conscious in general when I am sitting down in public (when my skin used to spill out over my pants and billow out obviously underneath my shirt).

Cons:
Nipples. They still hurt to the touch and I don't have much sexual sensitivity. I'm not sure if they're still improving or not but I think they are, very slowly.
Imperfections: Like I said, now that I'm used to how amazing I look, I notice the imperfections, mostly the asymmetry in my tummy. If you look at the after photos from right after the surgery vs now, I think I healed weird, because it definitely didn't look asymmetrical at first. If I had the money for another procedure, I might ask if there was a way to try to fix it.

Neutral but noteworthy:
Abs: It took MUCH longer for me to start being able to use my abs and work on strengthening my core than I expected. Months and months, and then very very slowly. And that's after my initial diastasis pain and recovery was much easier than I anticipated.
Hips: I think this is my freaking fibromyalgia but I still have odd sensations and mild pain sometimes around the area just above my scar line where the most lipo happened. It seems to still be improving slowly.
Breasts: It has taken me a long time to get used to how much smaller they are. The left used to be a cup size bigger than the right, and then my surgeon told me to expect to lose about half a cup on the right, so all in all that meant losing 1.5 cups on the left so it averaged out to losing a full cup. I knew that going in and approved it but getting used to it was harder than I thought. I am finally used to it though and I think my proportions are good (and again, clothes and bras fit).

So I go back and look at my before pics every once in a while to remind myself I look good!! And I appreciate all the time that my back hurts so much less. I am 100% happy with having gotten the tummy tuck, despite the asymmetry. I am less convinced that the boobs were worth the money and the residual nipple pain but I like them. I think I look really natural, and I look and feel younger.

15 month photos attached to show everything totally settled. I was a little bloated here and the light isn't great so they are not the best pics, but I kept forgetting to take them for months (hence the 15 month update instead of 1 year like I planned!).

I had surgery with Dr. Weintraub 5 years ago today when I was 22 and I’ve never been happier! She was very caring and knowledgeable, and she answered all my questions before and after surgery. I wanted the biggest size but I wanted it to look more natural. She definitely delivered!!
Recovery was rough, but I stayed on top of my meds and I was fully recovered after 6 weeks. The incisions are under my breasts but they are barely noticeable. She removed the stitches fryer one week. At the time I was 5’4” 100lbs and a 32AA and now I’m 112lbs a 32 C/D.
She’s amazing and gave me the confidence I’ve been missing my whole life! I would recommend her to anyone.

I found Dr Weintraub on RealSelf after a recommendation from a friend. Our first interaction was via email and even in that text conversation she was leaps and bounds over the rest. She takes time to explain thoroughly before you even meet in person and throughout the pre-op process checks on you post op and went out of her way to come in to see me on the weekend when the office was closed. Her work is amazing and her manner is superb

I researched having an abdominoplasty for a long time, using reviews, personal recommendations, and consultations. After having 3 large babies I had diastasis recti that I couldn't rebound from even after many rounds of physical therapy. Being slim, I was constantly asked if I was pregnant. My back hurt from not having a core, it was difficult to exercise, and my confidence was so low. After my consultation with Dr. Weintraub I felt immediately at ease. She made me feel so confident that I wanted to move forward with the surgery and I knew I'd be in good hands with her, as did my husband. The surgery went well, but due to my own mistakes of doing too much too soon (hard resting with kids around!) and taking Advil too soon after, I had a rougher recovery than most and she constantly checked in on me...even texting at night and during the weekend. She felt like a friend, not just a doctor, helping me get through the process. I am so pleased with the results only a few months after the surgery. If you are thinking about this surgery, I highly recommend you schedule a consultation right away. It has helped my core stability, back pain, my confidence, and my relationship with my husband because now I'm not so ashamed of my body. I just wish I did it sooner!

First of all, let me just admit it. I'm addicted to this site! It's so informative and REAL! So the last 2 years I noticed I was sweating a lot in my underarms. I went from regular deodorant, once a day, after my shower and being done with it. Nowadays, I slather on extra strength deodorant after my shower and in the afternoon with several underarm towel pat downs throughout my workday and STILL sweating through my cute tops. My wardrobe selection has dwindled down to black, patterned, sleeveless, loose-fitting tops. My wuality of life was suffering, so I started researching botox shots and found miradry on here. I knew I had to do it! And after reading all the great reviews here, I made my appt with Dr. Weintraub at Duet Plastic Surgery. After a couple emails, where I shared with her my concerns about my previous Accutane use, we decided I would be treated with level 4. The day of the procedure I arrived at 1, filled out some paperwork and was seen immediately. The doctor went over the process, some more concerns of mine, the consent form and we began. So it started pretty much the same as all the other reviews here; tattoo of armpits, numbing gel, numbing shots and then the miradry started. The Dr. Explained to me that the miradry process is not supposed to hurt and that i would feel some tugging and warmth and if i should feel hot or pain to let her know. Unfortunately, I did feel hot pain so I let her know and she injected some more numbing stuff in my armpit. Her partner, Dr. Lim helped her numb my other underarm while she finished with the first one. The whole time she was working on me she chatted with me to keep me busy and that was thoughtful. Both Dr's were very friendly and personable. When it was done i was given icepacks, told what to expect and to call them if I had any problems. I ended up having the procedure done at level 3 and 4, because my underarms were very sensitive and she didn't want to hurt me, which I appreciate it because I prefer a conservative approach and I am a wuss. Because of this, I might need a second treatment. We shall see, I hope not.
The pain and swelling was moderate the day of treatment. I iced and took ibuprofen as advised and slept well. Today, the day after treatment, I feel great. No pain, just tenderness and a little swelling. I took a shower and was told not to wear deodorant for a few days. So we'll see how it goes, I'm praying for the best and I will update in a week or so. Happy researching to you all!

Updated on 15 Apr 2017:
The swelling, lumps and soreness have improved a lot, about 80% better. I shaved a couple days ago and it felt so wierd because my underarms were still numb! So about the sweating and odor, I'm a little disappointed. I didn't consider my sweating severe, so I expected a huge difference. But I feel like there has only been a 25% reduction in my sweating and odor. I don't know if anyone has this problem, but one underarm has always been sweatier than the other. And it was my sweatier underarm that got the level 3 treatment because it was a bit uncomfortable at level 4. Anyway, so I planned on not wearing deo for a week after the procedure, but on the fourth day, I could smell my sweatier underarm and it was gross, the other underarm wasn't so bad. So I put on regular deodorant the next day and the sweating and odor were manageable, but I still had a sweat stain in my grey t-shirt. Bummer. The doc did mention to me that I might need another treatment, but I was hoping, since my sweating wasn't so severe, that I could manage any lingering sweat with deo use. But I guess not. I think I will go back for another treatment, I'll see how I feel in a couple weeks. So my advice to anyone reading, go big or go home! Do the level 5! Good luck to you all! I will update in a few weeks.

Updated on 12 May 2017:
It's been 5 weeks since my procedure and I can honestly say I am so happy I had it done. Although my sweat is not completely gone, it is about 70% better. And even when I do sweat, the smell is not offensive. My previous update was made while I was massaging my underarms with arnica, which by the way, helped the swelling and bruising a lot! But it was the arnica that made my underarms smell! Currently I put on regular deodorant in the AM after my shower and I'm good all day! I am changing my review to WORTH IT because I would do it again, in a heartbeat. Actually, I am still debating if I should go for another round. I guess I'll see how I feel on the 3 month mark and whether any more sweat returns. I will continue to update, in case it's helpful to anyone.

Updated on 23 Apr 2020:
Hello! So it's been 3 years since I had Miradry performed on my underarms due to excessive sweating. I noticed a reduction in sweating immediately, but it didn't last very long, I'd say about 1 year. I never expected my sweating to go away completely, so it was nice while it lasted. I have found other ways of reducing my sweat and that has only been by reducing my stress levels. After all, my sweating was caused by constant stress and anxiety. Once I understood that and really changed my lifestyle with meditation, yoga, CBD oil and at some point anxiety meds, my sweating is under control. Best of luck to you all.

Me: 41, 5'8" about 155lbs. I know it sounds like a lot but I'm really in totally decent shape... (I mean, I think I look pretty good!

Looong overdue review for Dr. W and my new boobies (tho they're not so new anymore, lol) - finally made it happen last December, as a little holiday gift to myself. The timing was just right - Dr. W was my first and only consultation. I had been looking for a woman plastic surgeon, and after talking to her, I knew she was the one for me. I booked my surgery date right away with Jolie (totally awesome too, btw) the office manager. Before I knew it, these Natrelle 295 SRFs were mine. It was such a huge decision, but I'm so glad I did it. Dr W was sooo patient with me and my completely OCD and random texts, which was great during those first few weeks after surgery. Now it's been almost a year - I love how natural they look and feel. They are perfect - thank you, Dr W and the Duet girls!

Dr. Weintraub is a great professional. I'm 45 yo male and lost 70 pounds in the last few years. As a result I needed breast reduction. She did an excellent job on my chest. I recommend her to everyone.

We've never met, but you already know my story: embarrassed by armpit sweat, tried every deodorant on the shelf and online with no noticeable difference, limited wardrobe options. A friend had mentioned that she saw this brochure at her plastic surgeon's office and thought I might be interested in Miradry. Thank goodness for good friends, because Miradry has made my life so much simpler.

I had the procedure done by Dr. Weintraub exactly three weeks ago. Her office was conveniently located near my work in Palo Alto - and her staff (Jolie?) was super helpful in answering all my questions - like could I go back to work after the procedure (answer: yes, but many people like to schedule their Miradry for the afternoon so they can just go home and chill). I was emailed instructions for before and after, which was great.

The procedure itself was not as bad as I imagined (and I'm a bit of a weenie when it comes to needles). Dr. Weintraub put in the numbing medication very gently and I didn't feel a thing after that. Gigi (her staff helping her with the procedure) was super sweet and did a great job answering my last minute nervous questions about everything - she helped me get an ice pack on right away for the swelling. The whole thing took less than an hour.

I will admit the first day or two was a bit rough - sore and super swollen, even with the icing and Aleve. Luckily I just work on the computer all day, so going back to work was fine the next day - especially once I realized I wasn't sweating nearly as much as I usually do!

Three weeks out, most of the swelling has gone away (I don't feel like there are tennis balls in my armpits any more, LOL), and it's still feeling pretty dry. It felt incredibly weird *not* to apply my usual clinical-strength deodorant in the morning, but now that it's been a couple weeks, it gives me great joy to see it gathering dust in my bathroom cabinet!

The Miradry wasn't 100% for me - I'd guess I'm sweating about 75% less than I did before the procedure - but that in itself is a miracle I'd pay for over and over again (but I won't have to, since I got the Level 5 treatment - woo hoo!).

I have had 3 children and was in desperate need of a tune up. Dr. Weintraub performed by breast lift with implants and my tummy tuck. She is nothing short of amazing and I could not be happier. She is a perfectionist, and so good at what she does. Dr. Weintraub understood my goals to look natural, like a better version of myself, and that is exactly how I look. She is warm, professional, available for questions, and just the best around. I look beautiful and I feel great, I am thrilled. I only wish I had the courage to do this sooner. If you are considering a big procedure like a mommy makeover, your next should be Dr. Weintraub and her partner Dr. Lim at Duet Plastic Surgery. I don't have the guts yet to post my photos but I'm the first one in a swimsuit this summer with my kids at the pool. Awesome experience, thank you Dr. Weintraub.