John Farella, MD, FACS

I was 56 years old and early for my first procedure. In fact he wasn't even sure I should do my eyes but this morning I woke up, I am 73 and I just had to say to those of you who are thinking about getting an eye lift, my sister ,79, also agrees that it is the best money we ever spent. NO regrets. I have other physical problems and this morning. I don't feel well, but I looked in the mirror and I said WOW! No make up and sick, but damn, I love my eyes and thank you, Dr. Farrella 17 years later.

Dr Farella is by far the best. He did my upper and lower blepharoplasty with awesome results. I was always unhappy with my nose and very nervous because all the research I did suggested an ethnic nose can be very difficult. After consulting with Dr. Farella, I felt confident that I would get a good result. The day of surgery I was nervous but his staff, the anesthesiologist and his nurse made me so relaxed. Post Procedure was uneventful, not much discomfort at all. I took Tylenol the first day and did not need anything else. The packing was removed a few days later then splint removed about a week later. The results are Amazing, He is an artist. I absolutely love my nose and although its still a bit swollen, I am totally happy with the results. I would absolutely recommend Dr. Farella without reservations. He has the magic touch!

I had two wonderful experiences with Dr. Farella, first a breast reduction in 2016 and a tummy tuck this past December. To say that i'm happy with the outcome would be an understatement. He was able to correct fairly severe asymmetry with my breast and the scars are barely noticeable. He always made me feel as though my concerns and questions were fully taken into consideration. My tummy tuck recovery has gone better than i expected and the results are nothing short of amazing. I finally feel like i look on the outside how i feel about myself on the inside. To me, that has been the best thing i could have asked for and it really is priceless to me. The office staff are always available for questions and are accommodating with scheduling. Additionally, both surgery days were made seamless with the help of Dr. Farella's nurse and anesthesiologist. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the entire experience. You will not be disappointed in the care that you receive or the outcome of your procedure with Dr. Farella.

Dr. Farella and his entire staff are extremely warm, caring and professional. I started using Dr Farella several years ago for injectable fillers and for botox and last year decided to have lower face lift surgery. He takes a great deal of time going over all procedures, making suggestions for the best possible results, but above all, listening to the patient. I couldn't be more pleased with my results.

I've always had a nice shape. Big boobs, small waist, child bearing hips. Then I had children. The shock after child birth was so great, I went into full blown post partum depression. It sounds horrible, but I couldn't believe that this beautiful little creature had wrecked my body so severely that I had to tuck my rolls into my jeans. I was completely flat-cheated when laying down and forget about stretch marks! So after 7 years of feeling selfish and like a horrible role model to my daughters, I decided to go for it. One, because I am still young and I want to feel pretty in my clothes. Two, because life is short and I want to be happy. And Three, because I have a great husband whose world I want to rock! So after a lot of research, I finally made my decision to get a full tummy tuck and a breast lift with implants. I was so nervous! I had a great surgeon who kept it real with me however, there are things that they don't tell you because it's kind of too much to tell.
Sooooo, as I sit here 3 weeks post op I thought I'd share some stuff I wish I'd known.
1. It hurts. There's no other way around it. When I woke up, the first thing I noticed were my deliciously large boobs. That felt rock hard and foreign. Then wooziness. When you get home after all the sleeping you'll feel it. The pain.
2. You'll ooze through your drains. Don't freak out. There's a lot of liquid in there that needs to come out.
3. The binder is a pain in the ass. It's tight. It rides up. It's yucky cause you've oozed stuff on it. You need 2 for sure.
4. Coughing, sneezing and getting out of bed the first 4 days are the worst things on this planet. Keep water next to you at all times.
5. If you have the muscle relaxer and Tylenol, you really don't need to pain meds. Just my opinion, but I don't like to feel out of it with two kids near me at all times.
6. You'll need to swallow your pride and ask for help. For everything! My mom had to give me a sponge bath.
7. Not showering for 7 days sucks! Your skin will be dry and sticky from the tape. The tape will pull your skin and that hurts too.
8. You'll need to go to the doctor a lot the first 2 weeks. You'll need someone to drive you cause you can't because of the boobs.
9. Sleeping sucks because of the position. You'll need a cane to help you walk.
10. Your back will hurt and spasm. Oh the spasms, they'll kick your butt!
11. By the 6 to 7th day you'll feel better and want to do more. Slow down because by the end of the day you'll be in pain.
12. The drains being pulled out is not that bad, you've experienced worse!
13. Being in bed sucks!!! When I was at work, I would fantasize about this...but it's horrible!!! There's so much candy crush and instagram a girl can do, books are boring, Etc etc, it sucks.
14. You'll need more than one weeks worth of food in your freezer.
15. After 2 weeks, you can drink!!! Chill, you'll hurt in the morning and your scars will be horrible afterwards apparently.
16. You'll try a bunch of clothes on and flood yourhubby's phone with boob pics.
17. Here's where I am. After my scar has scabbeb over and I've buffed some of those scabs away, you'll get these red bumps and they'll ooze and hurt. They're called spitting sutures and it's the dissolving stitches trying to escape your body. They hurt and look gross. I thought this week "why the hell did I do this?" Then I looked at my before pictures and what it's like to try on bra after bra to help lift your tatas to no avail, and I thought you know what, bring it!
It's a really long process. Really long. When you read about 6 months to a year to fully heal you kinda don't believe it. But yeah, it's long. My boobs feel better than my tummy. Some stretching and numbness and itching but they feel good.
I hope this helps someone. I know it was long but I was trying to remember the things that I felt were important. Let me know if I missed some! Happy healing <3

First: Free Consultation- 3 offices to choose from. I've been to others who marked me up & explained the surgery & were very agreeable to whatever I wanted.
Dr. Farella was the only one who warned me about unrealistic expectations & how my age, skin etc would react to each procedure. He told me which procedures were most recommendable for my desired look & unlike others who promised me a new body, Dr. Farella promised to make me look the best at my weight and body frame. He honestly told me he wouldn't be sucking my 50 extra lbs out as others had.
I was still unsure & having had a negative tummy tuck before, feared paying to be scarred again. I called several times & Jackie patiently answered all my questions & never pressured me, just politely assured me they were there for any questions, or a second consult if I wanted.
Once decided, they worked with me on planning my areas and fitting them into my budget. Dr. Farella explained his surgical plan, looked over my old pictures from 3 yrs ago & my "hoped for" look & how possible it was to get back there.
Surgery morning:: The nurse received me & helped calm my jitters, as she got me & my paperwork ready & went over what I should expect for the day. The anesthesiologist came in & did the same, getting all my medical history straight to avoid complications. Dr Farella came in & looked over my chart again & the areas we' d do. He marked me with the concentration of an artist and took pictures seeing new "tweaks" he'd add in to maximize my end result. He took time and patiently planned my surgery and explained my probable outcome. When they took me into the OR, it was spotless and large and comfortably welcoming, I felt very safe and relaxed even more.
While I was in surgery my escort was explained what was happening, what would happen after, aftercare instructions and how I'd feel as well as warning signs.
When I woke up the nurse was right there to help me sit up, get out of bed, dress, sit and regain consciousness. She explained to my escort and me again, how things went, what to expect over the next few days and patiently helped watch out for my insurance provided post surgical ambulette to pick me up.
I was given 2 compression garments and was received 2 days later for follow up.
Before Surgery:: My surgical consents included a multi page detailed list of pre and post op instructions, along with an extensive list of meds, foods, activities etc.. to avoid complications from bleeding or infection.

**I never received such a pre surgical safeguard experience in my life.**

Being a lower income person and getting "Park Ave V.I.P" type care from Dr. Farella and his staff made me feel super special and safe having chosen Dr. Farella and his staff.
3 days after surgery I was amped up and doing light household activities.
2 weeks after surgery, a bit sore and bruised still, I can stretch and walk, and do my self & household care on my own.
2 months after surgery I still have a streamlined shape and am watching my caloric intake and exercising to maximize my result.

I totally recommend Dr Farella, he and his staff were more honest and treated me better and with more honesty than the Park ave butcher who left me scarred years ago.
They encouraged me from before and after how to keep myself in better condition.
They didn't make me skinny, but gave me an Amazing hourglass at my size, and beautifully contoured me to a gorgeous slim looking streamline without those bulges of fat that weighed me down before.

--I was 180 Before Surgery and My Profile Pic Is Me Day 3 After Surgery.--

Fancy Address does not dictate true quality of care, I saw Dr. Farella in the Bronx and am Ecstatic. Sooo much better than my Manhattan disaster.

Updated on 10 Dec 2016:
(Some photos added)

I had been very self-conscious about how saggy my breasts were for the last 8 or 9 years. Although I had contemplated a breast lift procedure for many years, it never seemed to be the right time. This year; however, I decided to go for it. I didn't see any cons to having this procedure; only pros including increased self-esteem and improved self-confidence. After the procedure, I realized that this was one of the best decisions I've made and I couldn't be happier with the results. Dr. Farella did an amazing job!

I had a biopsy done by a plastic surgeon in the center of my cheek , he said he was going to 'scrape it'

well, I ended up with a visible mini crater, and all for nothing. I should have gone to my 'out of pocket' plastic surgeon, but I didn't realize it was going to leave a hole in my face and no one suggested ..'just pay for it yourself to get the best results. HEY I would have if I'd been worried.

Jeez, and this after spending$ 3,000 on full face resurfacing... and a $ 10,000 eye/face lift.. ending up with a hole ?. so after several years of letting collagen improve, as my face & skin tone probably were getting worse ( hey we age !) I asked my guy if he could improve anything.
. He said that the slightly raised area right next to it ..mole? made the depression look worse, so as an educated guess, he removed the raised area and 10 days later, from a distance it looks much better. I am only showing a close up here, and it is still reddish
Smart.

so... My grandmother arms that I had.. didn't match my face or my lifestyle. I have gained and lost weight over the years but the most was 50 pounds when I was around 59.. so I was surprised that they were as droopy as they were ..but I've never been an excercisor.. so maybe that's why. Anyhow. I had confidence in a plastic surgeon ..having used him when I was 56 .. so I did't have the stress of choosing and deciding. Additionally, his price was acceptable , especially for the Westchester New York area. Not being retired, or having paid vacation, this costs more than it sounds as I can't work for a month. I have a family reuntion July 31 so I have 38 days to be presentable.

Monday morning my doctor drew various lines on my arms, erased, did it again he was happy with his final map. My proceedure involved lipo and then skin removal. . The operating room is in his facility in Mt Kisco and the anestheologist he chose was perfect. Everything you would want in a dr including being good looking. Operating room nurse was great, then later a recovery room nurse. I felt safe and informed.
Two different people called me the evening following the surgery...dr and nurse.
From day one, my dr said he wouldn't be using drains, he uses a technique that I think eliminates the need.
when I woke up from surgery my arms were bandaged and the lower half of my arms looked 98 % normal. I expected swelling or a generalized weirdness, ..no, just a slight bruise where he had the iv in my hand. ( way good btw)
and the only discomfort I felt was in my armpit and it was not severe. The first night? I expected to have a lot of pain which I figured I would manage with hydrocodone. But it was not that way, in my case, I think it could have been managed with tylenol if I couldn't tolerate the stronger meds.. but I could, so I took advantge of it and popped them anyhow ! yeah.
I found turning, getting out of bed requires navigation.. Putting on stretch pants? bra? Lots of stuff difficult with both arms out of commission. as I was in the middle ..in overstretching I pulled out a stitch or two and the next day had to have novacaine ( ouch into the wound) and then a couple of stitches. I found my dr's demeanor very engaging as he viewed my scar placement the next day as he changed the bandages. He was strutting ! he said it was as perfect as he'd wanted it, there was no artificiality in his happy eyes .. he was aiming for dead center of my arm so that when you looked at me from the back or from the front, nothing was visible. and he got it. ( It kind of made me feel this is somewhat less than an exact science and there was a little luck involved !)
while the bandages were off, we took these photographs ad I could see my arms are sigificantly smaller ! yeah.. I did it. DID IT !
that night Tuesday, I had lots of itching. Once you scratch, boy oh boy it gets worse. I still don't know why.. arnica? I am taking a number of supplemnts he recommended, it is hard to get a control factor to find out what it is. I thought antibiotics, but no, because today, third day .. I have it again and I stopped the antibiotics.i Now I'm dropping the oral arnica and I'll see. I'm having an annoying time with my bandages.. did I wrap them too tight that's why itch? Now too lo0se and falling off.
In recent years I am scarring more than I dd when iwas younger. I am concerned about this, but it will take a lot of time to find out how I will scar from this. Pain is minimal. at least with MY GUY !
I'll update this as we go along with healing.

Updated on 1 Jul 2014:
well its been 8 days, and it has been uneventful. I had some itching very manageable with topical anti itch stuff from CVS.I will post photos later, one arm is more bruised and more zig-zag than the other however I have complete confidence than when they are healed they will look just fine. This is a good surgeon, I have experience with him, he also at the same time did a scar revision on my face which I did not make mention. Of..but it's looking good.
yesterday my sister had a full facelift and hip liposuction with him today she has the bandages taking off for a little while, and we are both very very happy with this result for her.even with the next day swelling, it's quite obvious that her turkey neck is gone.,..GONE!

Updated on 7 Jul 2014:
so far so good with one concern.. , hope this resolves otherwise I will be disappointed.. we'll see..
first:
I think my healing is going fine. I think I am not limited much in what I can do at this time, discomfort is manegeable. the photos look sore, but those dark spots are stitches that are coming out tomorrow.
As I've stated before, these surgeries from what I am seeing in most befores and afters make arms look more normal. more proportionate.
I do not feel as though I have thin arms , they still look a little hefty to me, we all want to go back to when we were 26. but my right arm has a bulging area near top. you can see in photo, ...what I feel when I touch my arm is strange lumps and bumps inside I did not have before. I read that massage will help this, or was it an undercorrection? I don't know
I can't massage it yet as it hurts, but maybe that's a sign it is still swollen. Right now My right arm is larger than left and I never noticed that before. so I'll post again as I go along.
I am glad I did this. At top of the first review I posted unsure.. but so far I am happier than concerned.

Updated on 8 Jul 2014:
hey someone told me this wouldn''t hurt ! OUCH ! tonight pretty sore .. dr said I need to wait until Dec to decide if bulge needs more lipo or if it will resolve. it feels lumpy. I think I lost 1.25 in per arm.
I have family reunion in 3 weeks... hope this isn't too scary looking then...

I found myself lucky to choose Dr. Farella for my surgery. When I went to meet Dr. Farella for the first time, I had lot of questions in my mind. He made sure to explain everything in great detail. He explained everything I needed to know about the procedure. He is such a knowledgeable, warm, and kind person. After the surgery, I feel and look so beautiful and happy now. Everyone around me has noticed just how happy and more confident I look and act. I couldn't ask for a better plastic Surgeon.