Michael Philbin, MD

I have always wanted bigger breasts. I have also always been overweight. So I thought that I should wait until I was the perfect weight to do it. My biggest cup size was a c, but after 6 kids & breastfeeding, I was  more of a b. Also the girls were really heading south. Over the past year I lost about 35 lbs. But then last summer I had problems in my relationship that hit my self esteem pretty hard. I decided I needed this. So I scheduled my consultation at Edina plastic surgery. The procedure went smoothly. I am currently about 6 weeks out. The staff at EPS was great.Things are healing nicely. The girls are up where they belong. My cup size is double d to triple d. Waiting to buy new bras until I am sure what the size will be. I love my doctor. This has been a huge boost to my self esteem. If I manage to lose more weight, I may need some tweaking.So even if you are heavy like me, don't let it stop you. As an incentive for posting a review, this reviewer received an entry into RealSelf’s monthly $500 gift card giveaway.

Dr Philbin is such a talented surgeon. If you want natural, beautiful results he is the best choice. He did a great job explaining the procedure, recovery and result expectations and then exceeded all of my expectations with his work. I highly recommend Dr Philbin for any procedure especially tummy tuck and breast augmentation.

After 6 long years I finally pulled the trigger on my abdominoplasty And liposuction. I have two Beautiful kids and a wonderful husband. This is for me and I can't wait for the results.

Today was my surgery and I was petrified when I arrived. But the clinic staff did an amazing on calming my nerves down. They Said if I wasn't crying they would be more worried and it was totally normal.

Arrived at the surgery center at 6 AM and they took me back a little after 630am and did all the preop work. I was in surgery a little bit before 730; A little happy juice and I was off to lala land. Surgery lasted about 3 hours. Next thing you know I was awake and came out of the anesthesia great.

The pain is generally localized to where they did the liposuction. I had he Exparel and that really is working wonders. I had recliner chair delivered It is I godsend. They did send me home with a catheter and the thing is god awful I'm pretty sure it's coming out tonight





Updated on 14 Mar 2020:
Day 1 post op
Yesterday, I had my first follow up appointment and was able to peek a bit at my tummy. I was laying down so not the greatest view. Doc says everything is looking good. Pain today was present. I would call it a 5/6 out of 10. Manageable with muscle relaxer and Percocet at night.
Day 2 post op
Easier to move today. Been managing pain with Tylenol and Advil during the day, I would say a 3/10. I am already sick of sleeping in the power recliner and miss my bed. But it really does help. Tomorrow I am going to finally shower. I was allowed to today, but opted to wait. I did change out my binder and change my dressings and that was enough to wear me out. I’ll post pictures tomorrow before shower.

Updated on 15 Mar 2020:
It is true...pain gets better every day! Today I showered and it felt amazing to wash my hair. The only difficult part i have had is the constipation. I bought the stool softeners but totally forgot to take them. I will be taking them daily this week, because ouch is all I can say. Oh and coughing.. I can’t even describe the pain. Other than those two things, everything is going well. My mind seems ahead of where my body is and I just want to jump in and get things done and I need to remind myself to rest.

Snapped a couple of pictures George getting in the shower and I am really happy with how everything looks. Can’t wait for the swelling to go down. Good luck all.

Updated on 17 Mar 2020:
The Frustration is setting in. Of course now everything is on lockdown due to the coronavirus and now I have my six-year-old home with me all day which was not part of the original plan. And I feel really bad for her because all she wants to do is play Barbies, color and do all of the things that we used to be able to do except I find those to be a struggle and exhausting.

My mind is active and ready to go and get things done but my body says something else. I’m having an extremely difficult time sleeping in this recliner. I’m pretty sure I’m pushing it too much during the day because my daughter is home and I find myself really exhausted by the afternoon and more swollen. I would give anything just to lie in bed. But the last time I tried to prop myself up in bed I got stuck and I couldn’t get out. So there’s that. I am really looking forward to my postop visit with my doctor on Thursday and hoping these drains will come out. The fluid is all yellow and clear with 20cc over 8 hours, so fingers crossed.

That’s it for now. Trying to stay positive.


Updated on 19 Mar 2020:
Today was the day I turned the corner. The last few days have been super rough with pain and a lot of swelling. The recliner hurts my back and that’s hard to sleep in, so at night I’ve been using of the pain pills and they help. Today the swelling is better, but the stomach is tight and pulls a little.

Today was my one week follow up. I was happy that both drains came out! That was by far the weirdest feeling having them come out. I also asked for a different compression garment as the one I received post surgery, the body suit, tends to get really tight at night and it cuts off circulation in my legs.

I’ll post pictures tomorrow. Good luck all. It’s all worth it

It is impossible to imagine finding a better Plastic Surgeon! Dr Philbin is one of the most genuine and caring practitioners I have ever encountered. He is a perfectionist as well as a gifted artist . Resulting in incredibly satisfactory results. Thirty three years after having had twins and deciding the “baby fat” wasn’t owing away on its own I decided on a tummy tuck. Dr Philbin advised liposuction of back fat and a full incision . My biggest concern and the thing I had based my decision to have Dr.Philbin was belly button. So many pictures I had seen on Real Self the belly buttons all appeared artificial and less natural than I hoped to have. Dr Philbin EXCEEDED my expectations! I am 1 year post op and have been thrilled with the outcome from the beginning. My appreciation for the skills he has as a surgeon increase with time.

After two kids, one c-section, an appendectomy and a hernia that needed repair I decided to fix it all with a tummy tuck. I work out regularly and could never get rid of the pregnancy bulge or lax skin. Procedure was yesterday and only got one quickly glance but so far I am blown away! I never thought my stomach would ever be flat again!

Dr. Philbin is absolutely wonderful. He takes the time to discuss everything in detail, and will give you his honest opinion. He shows he cares every time he sees you. He is a fabulous doctor! I am only 11 days post op after having a tummy tuck, so far I am very satisfied! Dr. Philbin and all of the team at Edina Plastic surgery are very caring and inviting people, and will treat you with the upmost respect like you were their family.

I am only 10 days out of surgery, but I do feel more confident about myself and actually it almost feels like I recognize myself again. I never felt that the post baby and nursing body was mine, but rather something that I exchanged for having my beautiful babies. The first few days after surgery I was in a great deal of pain and was very tired. The pain has decreased steadily each day and I am looking forward to seeing the results each day.

I'm scheduled to have a mommy makeover in one week. I'm super excited but really scared of the recovery time and the time it's going to take to see the final results. Getting a breast lift and augmentation, tummy tuck and Lipo of the love handles. Any info would be appreciated! Need to know realistic expectations on recovery, results, things I need to buy for after the procedure. Etc....

Updated on 3 Feb 2014:
Yikes only 3 more days. I am getting anxious! 2 more days of work, I'm on the count down. Wondering how long I will be out of work? 7 weeks from the day off my surgery my boyfriend and I are going to Vegas for six days. Hope I'm feeling I'm to it.

Updated on 7 Feb 2014:
Yay. I had my mommy makeover yesterday morning. I've been sleeping a lot! I am pretty sore. I was not at all nervous yesterday. They said I was a champ. I think I'm doing pretty good. I only get about 5 out of drains every 6-8 hours. Hopefully that means I get them out Monday when I go in for a follow up. I get to take a shower tomorrow and take off the ace wrap around my chest n it hurts to laugh and cough. I'll take pics tomorrow when I shower.

Updated on 16 Feb 2014:
I had a check up on Friday (8 days post op) and got the drains out, Yay! I started feeling about 80% yesterday. I even wore my pre op jeans. I felt really good again today so decided to get out of the house and go shopping wiTh my mom. I think that was too much for my body. I am super sore.

Updated on 23 Feb 2014:
Well I am 16 days post op and I go back to work tomorrow. I'm kinda nervous because I get sore if I do too much still. I normally work 10 hour days. I'm going back 8 hour days for four weeks. I have a factory job which means I'll be standing for 8 hours.

Updated on 3 Mar 2014:
Okay so I decided not to go back to work. I'm going to find a new occupation to go with my me improved body and outlook on life. I'm 3 1/2 weeks post op now and feeling amazing. I still have a lot of swelling in the tummy back and hips.

Hi tummy tuckers!

About me: I'm 5'8 and between 140-143 lbs, size 2-4. I was overweight as a child, and morbidly obese during my teenaged years. As a junior in high school, I weighed 290 lbs. During my junior year, I decided to get skinny! (I really liked a guy at the time, so that helped my motivation ;) Unfortunately, being heavy my whole life I didn't understand diet/exercise in healthy ways. I spent the rest of my high school years as a bulimic who only ate apples and did not eat any fat for an entire year. I exercised compulsively, and ended up needing knee surgery from improper exercise and a gallbladder removal (from my body not processing fat). I had dropped down to 180lbs by the beginning of my senior year...but since I lost the weight in an unhealthy way, I quickly gained back 70 lbs and began my freshman year of college at 250lbs.

To make a cyclical story short, I lost 80 lbs, then gained 60 lbs back. I have been a yo-yo. I have finally mastered healthy eating (lots of protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, healthy proportions, treats, balance of sugars, seeing food as fuel, etc.). I have also found an exercise program that works for me...instead of ONLY doing cardio, I focus on a lot of weight training/muscle building (I am by no means ripped lol, just toned). I love taking workout classes at my gym, as they push me to work out a full hour and it's easier having a trainer telling me what to do.

I love my new size 2 body, but a 150 lb weight loss has left me with no fat in my stomach but a LOT of loose skin. I'm always having to hide it under my clothes, and have never felt comfortable during *cough* intimate moments. It's time to get this body from NOT to HOT, and not have this skin as a reminder of who I used to be.

My surgeon is even considering not doing muscle tightening if it's not needed...I only took a week off of work, hope this will be enough time!

Surgery is on Tuesday, only 4 days away!!!! Will post a few before pics asap :)

I had 3 kids pretty close together, and the last baby was 10 pounds. During that pregnancy, I could feel my abs tearing, so I wasn’t surprised that I ended up with diastasis recti. I tried physical therapy a it didn’t help much. I decided to surgically repair and went with a breast lift and aug too.

Updated on 30 Nov 2017:
Yesterday was day of surgery and everything went well. I was sent home with a Foley catheter that I was originally not excited about but glad I got it because I don’t have to get u to use the bathroom. The pics posted are “sneak peaks” that were taken while I was still under anesthesia. Today I’m feeling tired and getting plenty of fluids and rest. Standing up to brush my teeth was NOT FUN, but I hear the first 4 days are the worst.

Updated on 1 Dec 2017:
Went to post-op appointment and everything is looking good!! ???????? I was given the go-ahead to shower, but I think I’ll wait one more day. Unfortunately I didn’t get to snap a picture, but I’ll be able to tomorrow.

Updated on 1 Dec 2017:
Here is a before and after of my breasts. I will post a before and after of my tummy when I can get a good pic tomorrow.

Updated on 2 Dec 2017:
I’ve read that most people don’t have an appetite after surgery, and I’ve found that to be true for me too. However, my hubby is making sure I’m getting nutritious meals to help with healing. No salt with emphasis on protein. I’ve also really kept up with hydration. Typical breakfast has been 1/2 cup of GF oats with egg whites, PB, and half a banana. Lunch is either a grilled chicken salad or a protein shake. Healing feels slow, but I’m embracing the process. I’m also super excited to take my first shower today!!

Updated on 3 Dec 2017:
Woke up today nauseous with a pounding headache. I think it might be due to taking the pain meds without food in the early am hours. I also haven’t had a BM yet despite taking colace and drinking smooth move tea. So I am switching to Tylenol and will see if that helps. After I go some food in me I felt so much better. Also going to work on moving around more today. I’m shooting for walking a lap around the house every hour. I can tell my tummy is still swollen so I didn’t take the binder off today, but took a look at the girls. They seem to be healing well, bruising around incision seems to be going down.

Updated on 5 Dec 2017:
Today I had an emotional day as the swelling seemed to be getting worse which in turn is messing with my head. I researched this procedure ad naseum and though almost everyone talks about this, I wasn’t expecting to get as swollen as I am. Drain is not draining much.Hoping this is normal and goes down soon. Follow up appointment is on Thursday.