Michael Sundine, MD, FACS

Having the tip of my nose re shaped was something I had considered for a very long time. I had met with numerous Dr's over the years , some very good Dr's, but just just never felt 100% comfortable. Once I met with Dr Sundine I knew I had found the right Dr. He isn't flashy, no song and dance, no BS. He listened to what I was hoping for and then explained how he would craft the end result. I asked him; so you don't think getting the results I want will be a problem. And he simply replied; I know it won't. Something about how calm, confident and reassuring he was just put me at ease. I have had my new nose for 3 weeks now and could not be more please with the what Dr Sundine accomplished. The results look natural, and like me; just refreshed. If you happen to read this Dr Sundine, Thank you from The Brolin ( an inside joke :) )

I was born with cleft lip and palate. I am 21 and Dr. Sundine just did my rhinoplasty. I am in awe at the talent of this man! I would recommend him to anyone and everyone for any cranial facial issues, cosmetic or otherwise! My surgery went just as he described so I had no surprises. He harvested part of my rib for my nose which made it uncomfortable to laugh or cough at first, but it's fine now. I followed his direction of icing my face for 3 days and had very little swelling. I bruised up, but it was almost completely gone in 7 days. It's been 3 weeks and I now have a wonderful, beautiful nose, far better than I ever expected. Because of Dr. Sundine working his magic, no one knows I was born with a cleft! Bye Bye birth defect! Thank you Dr. Sundine!

I could not have had a better plastic surgeon to handle my breast reconstruction concurrent with the double mastectomy. When I first went to our consult, I was overwhelmed by his humble, gentle and genuinely caring spirit. I was scheduled for just a single mastectomy with DCIS stage 0 cancer, which would have been followed by radiation and five years of Tamoxifen. Dr. Sundine totally put me at ease about the surgery in general, but gave me good options should I choose a double mastectomy. My daughters are so relieved I chose the double. Now I'm completely finished with no chemo, no radiation and no Tamoxifen! Dr. Sundine did an amazing job! He is so caring and an excellent surgeon. And Toni, in his office, is an angel. Love them both!

Here’s a doctor and an office that really gets it. Dr. Sundine knows his stuff (he’s board certified in plastic surgery), but he’s also down-to-earth enough to understand things from the patient’s perspective and explain things in terms that everyone can understand. For example, when I didn’t understand the anatomy of the nose, he not only explained it, he drew it all out on paper and showed me each step of the process. He never seems rushed and has patiently worked through every one of my questions throughout multiple visits. Also, I’m really impressed that Dr. Sundine is so committed to his patients that he gives out his cell number in case there’s a problem. He even interrupted his vacation to take my call and get me fixed up.

His office is also extraordinarily well run. Toni keeps everything running smoothly. In 15 or so visits, I’ve never had to wait more than a couple minutes and usually she just brings me directly into an exam room. Here too, there’s seldom a wait for Dr. Sundine. When it comes to scheduling procedures at one of the surgery centers, Toni makes everything straightforward, not just giving out forms and directions, but also coordinating medications and explaining how each step of the process will work. Plus, she’s compassionate and seems to genuinely care about the patients, just like Dr. Sundine.

I’ve had the unfortunate experience of having to deal with a more than a dozen doctors in the last year and Dr. Sundine is one of the best.

My experience with Dr. Sundine was AWESOME! He did such an amazing job on my nose. My nose had basically collapsed and Dr. Sundine made it look normal again. He helped me restore my self confidence. I am so happy with the results. Dr. Sundine explained everything in detai prior to surgery along with my follow up visits. I highly recommend him. He is very professional, knowledgeable and kind. He also was able to get my insurance to cover the surgery.

I have had gynecomastia, or enlarged male breasts, since I was around 4-5 years old. (See first picture) This year, being my first in college, I finally decided to fix this very frustrating issue, which was seemingly progressing for the worst throughout the years. (See second picture) After countless attempts at fixing or at least concealing my gynecomastia through various medications, extreme diets meant to aid in the reduction of tissue, vigorous workout regimens, huge t-shirts to hide the issue, etc, I decided it was time I went under the knife. So I went to my general practitioner, who identified the problem, and eventually got me a consultation with a surgeon. This surgeon was not good news. He told me I don't have enlarged male breasts, even after a mamogram, which I brought in to show him confirmed the condition, to which his answer was, "I don't need to see the mamogram." So to sum it up, this surgeon told me:
1. I don't have gyno, just an average amount of tissue
2. He has more breast tissue than I do
3. Insurance will laugh at me if I try to get it covered.

This made me confused and angry, given that the facts were right in front of him and he was denying it. It almost seemed like he did not want to perform the surgery, given how adamant he was about his statements. I then asked him to prove he had more tissue than me, since he was so sure, to which he smiled and said that is ridiculous. At this point I got up, thanked him for his time, and exited.

Fast forward a few more weeks, and I got another consultation with a different surgeon, Dr. Michael Sundine. Well, actually, there was no room for an appointment with him, but he offered up his lunch break to give me a consultation, stating that he knew how important this condition was to those who had it, and that he'd like to help me out as fast as he can. After only a few moments with him, I knew he was much more experienced in the field, and made it obvious that he actually cared about the issue, and wanted to help. He asked me question after question about everything that he needed to know in order to provide the best possible solution. I was then asked to show him some pictures of how my condition has progressed over the years. The unfortunate issue about this condition is that insurance is fairly hesitant to cover it, being that most people are in it for the cosmetic enhancements of looking better, to which they will not provide you coverage. Dr. Sundine asked me what exactly was bugging me in regards to this issue, to which I answered with the psychological and physical obstacles I was dealing with. I was then advised by him to get a blood test. One, to confirm that I am indeed in perfect health, and two, so that he can send it to my insurance to show that there is no underlying issue that caused/is causing the gynecomastia to form. He informed me that he will try his best, and shouldn't have much of a problem getting insurance to cover it. Turns out, he was right, and I did not have to pay a dime, as opposed to the thousands of dollars it would have costed otherwise, and for that I will never be able to thank him enough. A few days later, I get a call back, and we scheduled the surgery for 3 weeks after that date.

Now for surgery day. I had to be there at 7, and the procedure was done at 8:15 or so. Upon arrival I filled out some paperwork, got called back, slipped into my gown, spoke to a few nurses as well as Dr. Sundine, then the anesthesiologist arrived. He put the IV in me, and I was out.
I awoke in the original bed that I was carted in on, with a lot of pressure on my chest. I couldn't see it though because i had a wrap on, meant to reduce the swelling. I then spoke to him as well as a few nurses some more about the standard procedures of what I need to do, as well as a little more paperwork, and I was on my way.

As soon as the anesthesia wore off when I got home I experienced a good amount of pain. I figured that was normal, so I took the prescription painkiller medications I was given, and attempted to go to sleep. After an hour of no sleep because of the pain, I tried to sit up a bit and noticed a small amount of blood on the couch, from one of my pecs. I then proceeded to call Dr. Sundine, and he said come to my office immediately. I arrived, and upon analysis, he informed me that I had hematomas (blood clots) on both breasts, and that it was crucial i go back in for another surgery immediately. He said for me to follow him, and we went asap to the nearest surgery center. Luckily I still hadn't eaten, as I had to be fasted before the surgery. After the paperwork and such, I went into the operating room. To explain the procedure a bit, Dr. Sundine opened me back up, drained the breasts of the excess blood and fluids, patched me up, and that was that. I left with two little bottles hanging from my sides connected via a tube to my breasts collecting the excess fluids that were going to be leaking out for the next few days.

For the next two months, I went into Dr. Sundines office for weekly checkups. It was so easy to stay in constant communication with him and schedule appointments, given that his receptionist, Toni, was so friendly and organized, as well as very knowledgable on his procedures and dealings, which was nice for reassurance and ease of mind. Each time I went in she had a huge smile and was always so on top of the scheduling. Dr. Sundine would check on the breasts, rewrap me with fresh gauze, offer fresh suggestions for ways to aide/speed up the healing process, and send me on my way.

That brings us to today, approximately 2 months after the surgery. As of this moment, I've never been so self-confident and happy in my life. Once the swelling went down, it was like I was a brand new person, and no one, including myself, can believe it. I cannot thank Dr. Sundine enough for the life changing procedure he performed on me, and can not get over how well of a job he did, especially after reading up on how difficult this surgery is to perform. I currently am back to working out and training like nothing has changed at all, and recently worked out my chest for the first time since before the procedure, after which I experienced no pain, or swelling, meaning I am all healed and good to go. Dr. Sundine changed my life, and I cannot recommend him enough to anyone looking to improve their quality of life.

I wanted to look closer to the age I felt. I've always wanted a more defined chin area and did not want to have the appearance of a frown that seems to run in my family's older female members. The years spent in the sun had taken their toll. I was referred to Dr. Michael Sundine by a close friend who had a facelift and looked fantastic. I always felt that a cosmetic procedure was beyond my financial capabilities, but decided that it would be a very worthwhile expenditure and okay to invest in myself.

First, I’d like to say how nice and welcoming Toni is in the front office. She is an example of how a front office person is suppose to be, AMAZING! And plus she’s a RN, so she knows her stuff. I researched and consulted with 6 or 7 good rhinoplasty surgeons prior to me finding Dr. Sundine. I feel so lucky to have ended up with him. And knowing he’s a facial reconstruction specialist made me feel even better about my selection. His demeanor and attitude towards his craft shows he knows what he’s doing. When I mentioned his name to other doctors they ALL had nothing but great things to say about him. He thoroughly explained what to expect BEFORE and AFTER surgery. He doesn’t cut corners to get the desired outcome and it shows in the results. I had an accident which caused my body to go into septic shock resulting in much of the cartilage in my nose being destroyed. During my consultation he explained exactly how we could get my nose back to where it was prior to my accident. And he did just that! I am really really REALLY happy with my outcome.

One other reason I like Dr. Sundine is there new location. They are in a medical office building BUT Dr. Sundine’s office has it’s own private entrance on the side. This is nice because after your surgery (when you are not as pretty and/or a little bandaged up) you don’t have to be subjected to possible embarrassing moments while passing or sitting with other patients. I have already recommended Dr. Sundine to other family and friends because I know they’ll be well taken care of. I highly recommend Dr. Michael Sundine, he’s the BEST!!!

Hace mucho quería encontrar la manera de agradecerle a Dr. Sundine ahora a través de este medio lo hago.
Gracias Dr. Michael Sundine opero a mi hijo hace 8 años y el tiene una carita hermosa quien no sabe de su cirugía y se enteran de ella comentan "-ni se le nota-" son palabras que provocan un sentimiento de agradecimiento hacia usted; mi respuesta "-su carita se la debo a un excelente cirujano-". La cirugía la realizo en Hospital CHOC en condado de Orange,CA. Gracias por siempre! que Dios lo bendiga.

Cleft revision rhinoplasty was not something I was looking fwd to but after meeting w/Dr Sundine, I was confident he was able to help improve my breathing and symmetry to my nose. He explained everything he would do and was clear about the process every step of the way. Dr Sundine and Toni at his office were kind and caring making this a positive experience.