Dr. Michelle Place, MD is a board-certified plastic surgeon in private practice in San Ramon, California. She has over two decades of experience specializing in aesthetic procedures across the face, breast, and body. In addition to cosmetic surgery options like facelifts, breast enhancement, and tummy tucks, Dr. Place offers minimally invasive treatments, including dermal fillers, Botox injections, and laser resurfacing. A native to South Africa, Dr. Place moved to California in high school, graduating from college with honors before completing her MD at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. After completing residencies in general surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery, both at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Dr. Place spent a year as a plastic surgery instructor at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, then returned to California to start her private practice. Dr. Place is passionate about staying on the forefront of advancements in plastic surgery. In addition to authoring numerous papers on the topic, she is an active member of multiple professional organizations, including the prestigious American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
I had Liposuction around chest, fat transfer and Blepharoplasty. I had one other thing done which I am not comfortable mentioning. I am a 67 year old man and the surgery came out beautiful. Dr Place and her staff is amazing!
I had my first huge baby when I was 23. I carried extra amniotic fluid as well so my stomach had stretched beyond healthy limits. I was left with saggy skin and many stretch marks. 9 years later I carried my twins to 36 weeks and had to have a c-section due to high risk pregnancy, leaving me with more saggy stretches out skin and now a bump to boot. Being a mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me. It is my passion, however I needed balance. I put myself and things that make me personally happy aside for 17 years. My favorite thing to do for me is exercise. Having struggled with bouts of depression since 2009, I decided I need to be persistently consistent about making my soul happy. So since Jan, I workout 5-6 days a week, weights and cardio. I have been eating clean and invested in a trainer. I have found balance! It finally made sense to me that I do what I needed to for myself to feel as best I can and for me that meant restoring the part of my body that sacrificed the most for my favorite part of my life. Despite the risks I was ready to go for it. Updated on 5 Jul 2018: It is so hard to share these photos, but I have been so inspired by some seriously brave and vulnerable women on this site. Sharing their journeys with me allowed me to walk confidently into that OR without any doubts and very minimal fear! I only hope sharing my story may help calm nerves or encourage that mom out there that has always put herself last to consider taking the leap of that is what she needs for herself. Updated on 5 Jul 2018: I had every intention of posting pre-op and adding timely updates, but I was very overwhelmed with getting everything set for the big day. I did my best to cram 8 weeks of summer fun for my kids into just 3 weeks time. I am a side sleeper so my biggest concern (other than DVT) was getting rest. I purchased a BackMax Foam Bed Wedge Body Cushion I just happened to find in my countless hours of TT prep, it has been a God send!! The first 3 days I could not go near it after the first attempt to get out of it caused me so much pain, but since day 4 it has been amazing! I started out with a zero gravity chair for the first few days. It was excellent for getting in and out of, but not great for comfort. If you have a recliner I would imagine that would be the best option, but I wasn’t interested in purchasing or renting one. Updated on 5 Jul 2018: I’m learning how to use this site, forgive the multiple entries for week 1. I wanted to add some pics and mention that pain has been minimal. I am someone who does not like taking meds, but I also do not force myself to be in pain. I was able to wean off the Norco on post op day 2. I do take 1 Valium at bed time still. I have been waking up around 6.5 hours post valium with crazy tight ab spasms! It doesn’t hurt, but it is so tight. I usually take 2 Extra strength Tylenol at bedtime as well. I wake up feeling pretty good, but by bedtime, my stomach is so tight and sore I need some relief. I do make it a point to get up frequently and just move around and try to stand up as straight as possible. I’m about 95% erect at 1 week. Also, I did get a walker to use PO, but was told by my nurse at my day 2 checkup that it is not recommended so I have not been using it at all since. Updated on 11 Jul 2018: I’m so happy to say I made it to week 2 PO without complication. I do have my 2 week appointment tomorrow and am hoping my doctor is happy with my healing so far. I do have some tiny concerns that I am looking forward to checking with her on. For instance I have some swelling at the left end of my incision that makes me nervous. I also just want to be sure my bb looks healthy to her. I feel like swelling has been fairly minimal this week. I do wear my cg at all times. I also take Turmeric supplements and drink a lot of water. Also I have the luxury of taking it very easy for my first two weeks so I have been able to listen to my body and rest when needed. I am going a little stir crazy. I am someone who is constantly keeping busy so this sedentary time has been a challenge for my mental for sure. I can’t say I have experienced any type of depression so far. I did have one little breakdown last week, but overall I feel very happy with my choice to finally do this for me and with my healing. My biggest complaint would probably be a raw sensation I have along the center of my abs (similar to a sunburn feel). It seems to already be feeling better, but it was pretty intense most of this past week. Oh another crazy thing I have been dealing with is intense abdominal spasms that wake me up from sleep. I can’t say it hurts, because I really like the feeling of tightening my muscle, but it is scary to wake up to. I haven’t had it too bad the past couple of nights so maybe they will subside. I’ve been sleeping like a baby on my contour pillow. I’m not even worried about getting back to side sleeping and that was one of my biggest concerns going into this. Updated on 18 Jul 2018: This past week has been so positive as far as feeling more energetic, walking faster and being able to do more. I started driving this week. Bumps in the road don’t bother my stomach as much. Doc said I could wear my binder as needed, but I still wear it constantly. I have been getting closer to standing upright daily. The swelling today had me protective of my incision so I hunched more. I have started having pain on the ends of my incision more frequently. Doc said that is normal to expect at the 2 week appointment. It’s not horrible, yesterday I was sore when my binder rubbed it mostly. The sunburn feeling is still there, it has seemed to decrease, but it was back in full effect today. For some reason the past 24 hours swelling feels much more present. My hips and full tummy are just swollen! TMI, but worth mentioning. I had my first bm on day 5 PO. After that I was regular until 5 days ago and no here I go again. So it is possible that is playing into the swelling. Also I felt so great yesterday I decided to eat a meal from a restaurant, it was a healthy choice, but way over salted so that is bound to be a contributor as well. Hoping for a better tomorrow and for this swelling to subside. Updated on 22 Jul 2018: Last post I made I was feeling pretty miserable. I way over did it and was just so sore and swollen for it. I rested the entire next day and things have been going great since. I was even able to get out yesterday to get school supplies for back to school. Summer ends in 1 week for my kids. I feel great even after so much activity yesterday! Swelling has gotten much better. My bowels seem to be awake and working fine again. I drink so much water, at least a gallon a day, so I really don’t think that was it. I’m not taking anything for pain. I eat a good diet, but my movement has decreased so significantly I feel that is more than likely a huge contributor. So excited for my 4 wk PO on Thursday. Pain in incision and itching has been very minimal as well. Most of any discomfort I feel is at the top of the muscle repair. Updated on 25 Jul 2018: Wow! What a difference a week can make! Starting about five days ago I suddenly felt so much stronger and every day has just gotten better since. I look forward now to going out and running errands. Cooking is not a challenge. I don’t feel the need to rest after every task. The pulling of my muscles at the end of the day has dramatically decreased. I do feel a tug downward as the day progresses so I end the day a bit hunched, but not as bad as last week at all. Still dealing with swelling. Hips and upper thighs are extra puffy too and even tender. I am noticing a little more contour back in my obliques which makes me happy. I didn’t have any lipo and not seeing contour has had me very nervous that I may have actually needed it. I have had a few intense itching sensations along my incision, but being that i am numb there is no way to get relief. It’s so strange to have anything touch my stomach. I can’t wear loose fitting shirts that rub my tummy. I was cleared to stop wearing my binder at week 2, but I am just now feeling comfortable not wearing it. I do still wear it, but only for the extra “protection” I feel from it. I have been able to sleep on my side with pillows to lean back on for a week now. I have my 4 week PO appt tomorrow. Looking forward to being cleared to begin cardio. I miss working out and my kiddos start school Monday so it is the perfect time to get back into a routine. I’m putting pics up, but will warn I’m puffy due to my cycle starting today. My scar and bb seem to b healing well. My PS told me last visit the tape would come off at 4-6 weeks. I just trim off loose pieces as needed. I can only imagine how great week 6 will feel if Week 4 can be this much better. Happy healing! Slow and steady is working for me. Updated on 1 Aug 2018: So I can still say I am feeling even stronger this week than last. My activity level has had a big boost this week with the kids back in school and me able to get out and about comfortably. I have been cooped up so long now that I will find any excuse to get out. I have been cleared to ditch the binder since week 2, but just this week really stopped wearing it during the day. I have been wearing high waisted workout leggings. They give me a nice amount of support and are very comfortable. By 5pm I’m feeling pretty sore in my upper abdomen, but this is with quite a bit of walking at a pretty quick pace. I tend to bundle back up in my binder once the swelling and soreness kick back in. I also still wear my binder to bed, but am feeling about ready to stop that as well. I am not back in a workout routine yet. I am cleared to begin steady controlled cardio as well as light weights. I did do a series of upper body moves Sunday and while it felt amazing and my arms almost instantly firmed up, I am afraid that is where the extra tenderness in the upper abs started. It was not a planned workout and I did not have my binder on so that was my mistake for sure. I go back to my PS at week 6 if my surgical tape comes off for embrace scar therapy. If the tape is not off, I go at week 8. I have read a lot of ladies saying massaging the scar beginning week 6 is very helpful for smoothing the line and breaking up scar tissue. My tape has begun peeling off and last night noticed a bit of puckering along the exposed scar line, it has been very flat otherwise. It doesn’t seem as bad today so it may have been from a seam in my pants. The ends are another story. I still have swelling (less this week) and puckering at the ends. My hips are still swollen and tender, upper thighs are swollen, but less tender. Overall I am feeling pretty good and like I am on a good path to a full recovery with a happy result. Updated on 2 Aug 2018: I finally got my first official workout in and it felt so good!! I did an interval speed walk with inclines. I was able to get up to 4.5 speed with 8 & 10 inclines. After 25 mins of that I did a lightweight shoulder and tri’s workout. I wore my waist trimmer. I feel a little more swollen, but it’s not a lot like i have read others write about. I felt good the entire workout and felt like I could push myself even more next time. I’m sharing this because I had a mental block holding me back. I was afraid to hurt myself, swell too much and possibly set myself back. If you’re feeling strong and you think your body is ready, get back at it. Ease your way in and adjust the intensity slowly. The endorphins are so amazing!! ????
Dr Place and staff were outstanding. The original consult was great. Dr Place made me feel comfortable and confident in her abilities. The recovery was challenging but worth it. The staff was very attentive to my needs. This was a life changing event for me and I couldn't be more happy with the results.
miraDry works! I had the miraDry procedure on my armpits a few months ago at Dr. Place office in San Ramon. I am a very active person and I sweat a lot! From sweating, I have ruined tshirts, my confidence level was down. During interviews and meetings I actually pushed sweat through a sport coat on multiple occasions. Pre: I went into the San Ramon office in the morning, (I recommend an early appointment), and the staff there was nice and made me feel comfortable. (I do not like needles... I have a history of passing out at hospitals, but I felt comfortable here). If you are nervous like I was, make sure to eat breakfast and hydrate, I get queezy easily. If anything the hardest part was shaving my armpits, the procedure was quick. During: The downside was I had to keep my arm up above my head for 20 minutes at a time, my arm fell asleep, I told the RN and she allowed me to lower my arm for a break. In regards to pain, on a scale 1-10, very mild at the most a 4 (it is more just a weird pressure feeling). Post: Right after the procedure your armpits are numb, 3 hours later, it starts to feel like your armpits are sunburnt. I went to work after my procedure...I do not recommend. Keep ice close by, you will need it. Squeeze a water bottle slightly (4 total) and put in freezer night before, so when you feel pain you can put under your armpits. It really helps. (put a paper towel in between the ice and your skin). You will see some bumps and redness (totally normal). If you are a guy who is concerned about your armpit hair, it will grow back. Haha. Grateful: I am so glad I got the Miradry done in my armpits. I have a lot more confidence, especially when I go on business trips and traveling. It is amazing. People ask me, "well if my sweatglands in my armpits are eliminated, then I will sweat more somewhere else"....not true, there are only 2% of your sweatglands in your armpits. The Best part is you will see results immediately!! Thank you Dr. Place! Rob
I am 50 years old and suddenly my neck was sagging and so was my face. Everything about the procedure was explained to me clearly and I went into surgery with a positive attitude and complete confidence. I got exactly what I wanted and couldn't be happier with the results. I have recommended Michelle to several people already !
I had a face lift 20 years ago out of state and needed to freshen up! I wanted to look my age but was concerned another procedure would have me looking like I'd been through a wind tunnel! Dr. Place reassured me that I would have a natural look and sure enough, only seven weeks after the surgery I couldn't be happier! My recovery was much faster than I imagined and the results were even better!
I workout regularly and could not get rid of my tummy. I felt a TT would just give me that final bit of fitness I lacked. I had a TT four months ago and couldn't be more pleased. I had it four months ago and so thrilled with the results. I have already noticed the amazing difference in clothes and the look of my stomach. I was so nervous about the procedure and there were times it was challenging with recovering, but overall I am so pleased. I feel like I was well taken care of, I had all the information necessary, the results are just amazing. I still have more time to recover but I am on the right track and feel that I made the right decision with the right doctor. Updated on 1 Nov 2014: I have to update my review because I continue to be pleased with Dr. Place. I had to get dog ear correction done from my TT. She has such a calm reassuring way about her and wants to make sure you are completely happy with her work. I just have to reiterate that she wants you to be not just happy with your procedure, but thrilled. I feel well cared for and am so pleased that I chose Dr. Place. She is professional, efficient and thorough. Highly recommend her to you for any procedure. I might just look into the cool sculpting next. :) Thank you so much. (And, dog ears are not uncommon and not a fault of the surgeons - they are a sometimes easily fixed side effect of a wonderful worthwhile procedure). So happy (can't you tell?)
My face was disfigured, because of my nose. The tip of my nose was leaning on my skin and I looked terrible. I am older and trying to get a job, but people would always see my nose problem. My nose had a prior Rhinoplasty from another surgeon and Dr. Place fixed this. This surgery has given me my life.
Same story as usual, always had horrible sweating issues, going on about 10 years now. Couldn't wear anything but tank tops and black. Went to get miraDry and couldn't have had a better experience. Loved the doctor, the office, and the entire staff! Made it as comfortable as getting tons of shots in your pits can be. After the shots I couldn't feel anything and it was done and over with in about an hour. Just a bit sore now and still numb in the pits.
I am petite - 5" 110 lbs. so this may not help others but here is my story. I work out 5 - 6 days a week for an hour and burn 700+ calories a day. I eat well and I am 50. I have had a stomach for the last 10 years (2 kids). I did liposuction 6 years ago but it did not correct all of the fat on my stomach. I just really hated the extra roll. I did cool sculpt in October of this year and I have to say, it was worth it. The cost $600 (much less than lipo $3000). The down time was minimal but it does make your stomach sore - like a huge black and blue mark. I did not have bruising. It is now 5 weeks later and while my stomach is still slightly sore, and it still feels a bit numb, the results are really nice. My stomach is almost flat. So for me, if you can stand the initial 3-4 weeks of numbness, feeling as if you are very bruised and not being able to wear clothes that bind around your stomach, totally worth the money.
Thank you for the pictures. You do have some thickening on the right side of the belly button. Steroid, silicone or scar massage can reduce the scar as you are still early in your healing process and scars can take up to a year to mature. If you want to reduce the size of your belly button you can certainly remove the scar and make it a little smaller. Belly button revisions usually end up with better scars as you don't have the tension and swelling in the area from the tummy tuck.
Swelling in the lower abdomen after tummy tuck may be a fluid collection or it could just be swelling in the tissues. Fluid collections or seromas can occur after tummy tucks but you do not always need to replace the drain. In most cases draining the serous fluid with a needle and wearing a compression garment can work. In some cases serial aspirations may be needed but it is not as common to need to replace the drain. If the drain does have to be replaced a seroma catheter can be done comfortably under local anesthesia as you still have numbness from your surgery.Follow up with your plastic surgery so that he or she can determine the best course of action.
Thank you for including the photos. Hernias are best diagnosed by exam and it is possible that you have a hernia from the c-section, diastasis or a combination of the two. I would recommend a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon or a general surgeon so that you can explore your options.
Thank you for the photos. There are some variables as to the surgery that would give you the most benefit. With the nipple position where it is I would recommend a lift and if you want to add volume to the breasts an implant would be needed. For the abdomen a tummy tuck or Major Abdominoplasty would remove the majority of the stretch marks, tighten the muscles and remove excess skin. You do have some stretch marks above the belly button and these would end up low on the abdomen but would remain. As to costs it would depend on what you wanted and would be a wide range. $6,000 to 10,000. It is never too early to have a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon. You could consider your options and gain information about the procedures and how to prepare for them.
Fluid collections and drainage can occur in the early stages after a tummy tuck but your best option is to follow up with your plastic surgeon. Physical examination will determine if you have a fluid collection (seroma) that can be drained or if there is another problem.
