Paul Fondacaro, MD

After years of going back and forth, I've finally come to a decision. I chose Dr. Fondacaro at Doctor Park Avenue in Brick, NJ because I saw several photos that showed me he is familiar with working on body types similar to mine. My consultation was yesterday. The office is very clean & cozy. It has a very relaxed setting with a couch. The staff were polite and explained everything thoroughly. Dr. Fondacaro asked me questions to determine if I was a good candidate for the smartlipo procedure. I told him my main problem areas are my lower abdomen, love handles, and bra roll on my back. He said he will be able to do all three! I also later inquired about armpits too but he said it would be too much lidocaine. I appreciate the honesty and that made me feel at ease. After I talked with Anna, who went over all the prices, and before and after care. She also helped direct me of where to go for a post surgery garment, even though I already purchased one online, I will probably get another. I paid for my procedure in full and my surgery date is September 17, 2020! I am so excited! I can't wait to be a doll!!

Updated on 15 Sep 2020:
I can’t believe this is finally happening in 2 days!! I have purchased 2 fajas, tylenol, gauze, bandaids, a pee funnel, pee pee pads for the bed, and a few more outfits for comfy wear. Today Anna called to check on me and make sure I have everything I need. I almost forgot ice packs! She said it will help me the first 48 hours. I will pick them up tomorrow. I also asked her if I will need lymphatic massages because I wasn’t sure if I need them or not with SmartLipo and they never had mentoned it. She said it’s possible but I won’t need them until about 2 weeks after. Yesterday I started my arnica pills, 5 under the tongue 3x a day. They’re a little annoying because they take forever to dissolve but they actually taste good. I had some concerns about sitting for extended periods post-op.. I am a transportation worker. She told me to take off just one day after and I should be fine. I had planned to take off about 3 days so I’m in good shape. My boyfriend is going to be driving me to and from my surgery and I’m thankful he is being supportive. Even though he isn’t necessarily happy i’m going through with this he knows that I am happy and is still there for me. Girls, I am so excited! I have never had a flat tummy. I can’t even picture how I will look. Can’t wait to finally be a doll!!

Updated on 17 Sep 2020:
I can’t believe this day is finally here. i’ve been waiting years for this. yesterday I kept telling myself that this is my last day in my fat body. by the end of the night I cried a little because it really hit me that I will never be in this body ever again and that my fat will finally be gone. it was almost like I was grieving the loss of my old body and welcoming my new body. even though I’m so excited for what is going to happen today I was still sad last night thinking that I’ll never see this body ever again, when this is the only body that I ever knew. i’m ready to welcome my change & new me. When I woke up this morning I feel ok, less nervous than yesterday. I fully trust my doctor and can’t wait to see what he does. my procedure will take five hours for the three areas of fat that I will be getting removed (Lower abdomen, flanks, & bra roll). Meet you dolls on the other side!!

Updated on 17 Sep 2020:
The photos of me in the orange shirt we’re taking yesterday, the day before my surgery, The photos in my underwear were taken about two weeks ago.

Updated on 19 Sep 2020:
When I got to the office, Dr. Fondacaro gave me 2 Valium and 1 Klonopin. I was only given local anesthesia. For whatever reason, this wasn’t enough for me and the pain during the whole thing was horrible. I was crying almost the entire time and just for the life of me could not understand why it was hurting so bad. It felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing me in 90 percent of the areas. In some areas I was numb and could just feel the pressure. I’m assuming that’s how the whole thing would have felt if the lidocaine had actually worked. At one point he tried to give me more and it just poured out of me. He said I was at the maximum amount. I’m not sure if my body just didn’t react well to the lidocaine or what. Overall the procedure was extremely painful for me when that is not what I was expecting at all. I would recommend general anesthesia to anyone getting any of these types of procedures. Dr. Fondacaro helped me put my garment on before leaving. Afterwords I just felt dizzy, and mainly sleepy.. a little sore.

Updated on 19 Sep 2020:


Updated on 19 Sep 2020:
Sleeping was really difficult. I was trying not to move a lot because I didn’t want the bed pads to move. It was sore to get up, but I got up and managed to walk 3 miles. My back was the most sore area. I didn’t look tired, I’d say I was pretty alert and didn’t seem like I had just had surgery the day before. I was just moving a little slower.

Updated on 24 Sep 2020:
I resumed normal activities without any issues I think it was on Monday. I never ended up with any bruising surprisingly. Today is 1 week since my SmartLipo and I’m feeling great! The office called to check on me this morning. I am up and moving around with no pain or discomfort. I can already see a difference, but I can’t wait for all the swelling to go down so I can see my new body. Even though I’m still swollen, I am already feeling so much more comfortable with my body image. I’m really thinking how happy I am with this decision. Wish I would have done this sooner instead of second guessing.

Updated on 2 Oct 2020:
Yesterday was exactly 2 weeks from my surgery and I had a checkup with Dr. Fondacaro. He took some photos so we could compare my before photos to how I look now. We went to another room where he put the photos side by side on a large screen. I was amazed to see the difference. It’s hard to notice when you look at yourself everyday, but the pictures don’t lie. There is definitely a significant difference in my lower abdomen already. After seeing the pictures I could also see the love handles and bra roll difference. He cleared me to start exercising and going to the gym (which I’m so excited about!) He also said it is safe for me to start waist training. he told me that at this point the only thing that could hurt my results is not wearing my garment. I have been and will continue to wear it religiously. I’m trying hard to remember I’m still swollen and won’t see my real end result for quite some time, but so far I’m pretty satisfied.

Starting with the staff they are very professional but also very laid back and make you feel very comfortable. Dr. Fondacaro is wonderful and last two treatments were with Astin who was also just as wonderful. I would truly never go anywhere else.

Sue F.

Dr Paul and his staff at Dr Park Ave in Franklin Lakes are amazing people! They were a pleasure to deal with in the office and never a wait time. Dr Paul is a brilliant man who is an expert in his field. He also has amazing people skills and makes you feel comfortable and well cared for. Love my results and my entire experience with them!

I've always been up and down with my weight, but once I lost the weight in middle school I was fine all through out high school and beginning of college. I gained 40 pounds two summers ago and have been working out and eating right. I've tried sooo many different things with personal trainers, but nothing was working. I eventually lost 10 pounds and now I'm stuck. Either way I've always had a little pouch at my abdomen and never was able to get rid of my love handles even when I was thinner. I began looking into smart lipo a few months ago and had many consultations with different doctors. Dr. Park Ave wasn't really someone I was planning on meeting with, but I figured might as well. The staff are all very friendly and nice, as well as Dr. Fondacaro. They made sure to explain every little thing to me and made sure to answer any questions I had. I can call at anytime and someone will help me out. I scheduled my appointment for the procedure on May 16th at noon. I am doing my upper and lower abs, flanks, and posterior back fat. My price is $9900. I feel like it is pretty high compared to other amounts I see from other people on this site, but the other doctors I met with were around the same price and one doctor didn't even want to do what I wanted him to do. I really like this office too so I'm going for it!

Updated on 24 Apr 2015:


Updated on 15 May 2015:
Tomorrow is finally the day! I'm going in at 12. I have my compression garment and also decided to buy another one so I can still have one on while washing the other. I also bought some gauze pads to hopefully help keep the draining under control somewhat. I've been taking Arnica Montana for the past few days to hopefully help with the bruising as suggested by the doctor. I also don't remember if I mentioned this but I know when I was looking through reviews I liked seeing height and weight so I'm 5'7" and weight 178. So exited and nervous. Hope everything goes well. I'll update once I get out. Oh yeah and here are some more before pictures just for the heck of it.

Updated on 16 May 2015:
I went in at 12 for the procedure and was out by 3. I had two canisters filled with my fat which is 3 liters so I think that's great. Hopefully it's what i needed to get great results. When I arrived Dr. Fondacaro began to let me know certain things because I would forget after he gave me his cocktail. He gave me four pills in total, one was vicodin and i forgot the other something with a c. After a few minutes once i began to feel it Dr. Fondacaro took me into the procedure room to take pictures and mark me up where he would make the incisions. We then began. He first made the incisions which felt like a little pinch but weren't that bad at all. He then began to fill me up with lidocaine. That felt a little weird and hurt at some areas, but it hit me quickly so that was great. He then began to melt the fat with the canulla which did't hurt, all I felt was the movement. Then we were on to the suction, which also felt weird. He was looking over to make sure everything looked great and made some adjustments and then I was finally done. Dr. Fondacaro was great and I'm so happy I chose him. I'll try to post some picture once I change the pads because I'm draining like crazy. I am in pain when getting up or sitting down, but it's not excruciating. I also still feel the pills he gave me, but it's slowly wearing off now.

Updated on 16 May 2015:
Had a lot of drainage so switched the pads and also added gauze under the pads to hopefully keep the draining from going through so quickly. I am extremely swollen so I can't see full results but I can definitely tell there is a difference already. I also have some bruising but not much.

Updated on 17 May 2015:
I didn't have any problems sleeping last night. I am in a little more pain when moving especially my arms but it is bearable. So happy I finally got to shower today. Out of the 10 incisions 4 are still draining. I am extremely swollen, but I do notice a slight difference on my upper area. Can't wait to not be swollen anymore.

Updated on 22 May 2015:
Tomorrow finally marks a week since I've had the smartlipo done. All of the incisions are closed and not much pain only when moving certain ways but it's definitely bearable, nothing bad at all. Also still very swollen. Can't wait for that to go away. Some days it's worse and others I feel like I can finally see a difference. Also some bruising especially by my underarms which was badly bruised from the start. Taking off the compression garment only to shower and it feels so weird, like everything is all jiggly so I get happy to put it back on. I can't wait to see final results. Definitely very frustrating that it doesn't happen right away but that's just the process.

Updated on 6 Jun 2015:
Today marks three weeks since I've had the procedure done. Still swollen and areas hurting but bruising is gone. Incisions are still in the process of healing but all are closed. Don't really feel like any things changing but I guess I'm still swollen soooo. I see other people have drastic results so I guess I just have to wait longer. At 2 week appointment doctor took pictures and we compared to before having the procedure and don't feel like much really changed. He even froze at some points because he couldn't figure out what to say that changed. I guess I just have to wait longer and see if spending thousands of dollars on this was really worth it.

Updated on 25 Jun 2015:
This coming Saturday, in two days, it will be six weeks since I've had the smartlipo procedure. I haven't posted in a while so figured I'll do an update. I still wear the compression garments 24/7. Probably once a week I won't wear it for an hour or so. I still go to the gym and eat well. My incisions are just little bumps since they are healing but you don't see them. Not in any pain or anything. I don't feel like I see anything different. Looking back at my picture from the next day after the surgery I was so happy and after that day I just haven't been happy. To spend $10,000 on this and not see anything is disappointing. I know i may not still see full results but it's frustrating. I have my 2 months follow up at the end of July so hopefully things are better then. For now it's still just a waiting game I guess.

25 female, 5 foot 1 and usually fluctuates between 112-118. I do modeling so no matter how hard I try to lose weight I still hVe a fat deposit on the dreaded lower belly got a deal on groupon and after hours of scouring the internet about ...pretty much everything there is to know about lipo, and this particular doctor, I was satisfied. Now I CANT post my pic online unless I edit if, but basically I had very little fat to take out!

Procedure was SOOO quaint, prompt and informative. I really love doctor Fondacaro!! He's amazing and made me feel very at ease.

The pain is very minimum and only at random outer areas for just a second. He made sure t move from that area if I said it hurt and in my case my lipo took less than 1 hour (again, very little fat deposit to take out). It's incredible how easy the procedure wax, especially since having my wonderful bf every step of the way. I plan to stay at his house for at least a week until my stomach is in a good position.

I'm a dancer. So in hoping the swelling does down in maybe 2 months so I can have a source of income. More concerned about the horror stories I hear from Round the world-ripples thT don't go away, saggy skin etc I have never been pregnant or overweight , I'm 25 so I think we should be good. At home right after the surgery and no discomfort yet. I'll keep you guys updates. Sorry I can't post pics because I have tattoos and do modeling an ID like to be discreet about this one. VERY EXCITED for the outcome

Let me know if you have questions or a private PRIVATE Pic of the stomach So far

Updated on 21 Sep 2014:
Sorry about the millions of typos and sillyness in the first review-was still feeling the effect of the nerves cocktail.

Anywho, bled through like 4 pads placed inside the garment by this morning, but surprisingly didn't mess up my bf bed or car coming back from surgery. When we changes the dressings today upon waking we applied arnica gel (stomach isn't bruised but HIPS are for some reason. Those were actually the spots where it hurt at times. I think the numbing fluid didn't cover those areas maybe). My hips are looking like they may bruise and there are a lot of lines that look like claw marks (from the laser or tube or whatever), raised and red but I suspect it's normal.

Only thing bothering me is that the incision sites seemed to close, and I'm wondering whether there's a thousand tons of fluid trapped in me now? Should I lay on my stomach? Poke em open? (Jokes). Doctors isn't open today so I can't call and ask.

We put lipo foam over majority of the areas because I figure the holes are healed anyway lol. And for the record I can already tell the area is flatter, dispute bruising

Updated on 22 Sep 2014:
I looked like a beach ball. There's weird pattern dents from my stupid boyfriend getting the genius idea to cut the lipo foam all up. Wasted money now -__- We didn't use the foam after that

But as you see, very swollen and tender. That night I started wearing a binder over the compression garmet, as I felt it wasn't very tight. The foam helped the weird claw marks on my hips kind of, but I'm worried about them. I had a little stretch marks but not HORIZONTAL ones, you know?

We walked around the block and back last night, and today (day 3) I walked a little more. Hurt a teeny bit by the end of it. In general the pain is mostly just when I wake up (or over exert myself). But consider I'm taking like 1000mg of Tylenol every 5 or 6 hours

I know it's too early to tell if anything is going badly but still...Question-are those inflamed horizontal claw looking marks on my hips normal??

Going today with just the compression garment, and will shower tonight. I'll post pics of what's going on tomorrow

Updated on 23 Sep 2014:
These pics are from last night:
Swelling went down a ton from
beachball two days ago! Last night I messed around on the elliptical for a few minutes, and there was no pain, so maybe today I'll try to do 15 minutes slowly with little resistance.

Boyfriend helped me shower and we rubbed Shea butter on my tummy. Still a little sensitive, yet numb (it's odd). Was gonna put on the silicone scar strips but we decided to wait. I'm not sure when to put those on? If anyone knows, i would be great full to hear. One incision is slightly bigger and weirder than the other and I don't like it

Washed my primary garment by hand and wore the binder all night with a clean pillowcase (lol) under it to keep the skin smooth , since the binder is rough and I definitely do NOT WANT that crap on my bare tender skin. It's uncomfortable and digs into my waist. Gonna go see if the main garment is dry by now

AND, this may be TMI, but we definitely had sex last night with no pain! 3 days after surgery! Was very very gentle, so just letting you ladies know that depending on the position (and if your mAn/girlfriend is careful) it CAN be done! But keep in mind my surgery was also kinda minor. And yes I was wearing my binder during

I still feel huge so I'm not gona post any more pics until at least a week out, and they will e better quality, SORRY GUYS! I figured something is better than nothing because pics and reviews really helped ME know what was up before I got this done, and I'd love to be just as helpful to at least one person out there

All my friends think I'm crazy for doing this but I've wanted it for so long. I actually saw a groupon for the smartlipo & I just had to do it. It only covered one area but all I really wanted done was my love handles until I got to the doctors office & started talking about maybe getting a fat transfer to my breast.

I didn't have enough fat in my waist but he said my thighs would be perfect for it. Before I left the office I had decided against it but within a week I wanted the lipo done on my thighs without the fat transfer so I called up & for another $3500 I'm getting my inner & outer thighs done too.

My compression garment came in the mail today & I was super excited to try it on. The woman I had spoke to in the doctors office told me I should get whatever size I am now because there would be swelling right after I had it done but I put it on & I feel like it should be tighter. I almost want to exchange it for something smaller but I want to make sure I'll be able to get it on after surgery. I'll probably try it on again tonight & see how I feel.



Updated on 18 Jan 2013:
I decided not to try & exchange my compression garment but also to stop trying it on so I didn't stretch it out. I have two weeks until my surgery & now Im starting to become impatient & just want it done already.

Updated on 2 Feb 2013:
It is now the morning of my procedure & I'm a little nervous but super excited. I'm going to go to the gym now because I'm not going to get to go for the next 2 weeks & then I have to shower & get ready to go get this done... Yay Lipo!!!!!

Updated on 2 Feb 2013:
Just got home from my surgery & I'm just a little sore & very swollen. I just had local anesthesia so I'm not really that out of it but they gave me some stuff before the surgery & I'm a little woosey & nauseous. I ate a muffin & took some Tylenol & I'm just gonna lay down & try & sleep. Once I take my shower tomorrow I'll post some pics

Updated on 3 Feb 2013:
So its 3 in the morning & I've been up for about 2 hours. I'm not really in that much pain but its enough to keep me awake but I also passed out by like 7:30 last night. The only thing I have for pain is extra strength Tylenol because the doctor didn't think I'd need much more. If it gets too bad later I can call him & he'll get me something stronger but I think this should be fine. I've already leaked through my dressings & the back of my compression garment looks like is covered in blood but I'm going to have to wait until someone else wakes up & can help me with it. I think I can get it on & off by myself but I don't want to risk hurting myself. He gave me what looks like a wee wee pad to sleep on & I'm so glad he did or my bed would be ruined. I'm not sure if I'll need more but I'm going to go to the store & pick some up just in case.

Updated on 4 Feb 2013:
I had the surgery Saturday afternoon & now its Monday morning & I'm up & getting ready for work. There is still a little discomfort but not really enough to stay home from work.

Updated on 16 Feb 2013:
So it's been 2 weeks now & I'm still a little bruised & swollen but no pain. I've had to wear the compression garment 24/7 until today & now for the next week I only have to wear it at night but I kind of feel naked without it. I've been trying to do cardio but with the compression garment on after about 15 minutes I get too hot & have to stop so at least now I'll be able to work out without it. They said no strenuous exercise for 2 weeks but I'm still going to take it easy for about another week & just stick to cardio for now

Not worth the price.
Guys, please go to a doctor who's going to put you under general anesthesia. Unfortunately, taking a pill to "go to sleep" is going to make you wake up in the middle of the procedure multiple times. By doing general anesthesia (AKa going to an actual clinic) it also ensures that the doctor is able to be AS THOROUGH AS POSSIBLE with whatever procedure you're going through. I definitely burnt my wallet by coming here, I should've went to an actual clinic. The doctor and his assistant are very friendly, but it's definitely not worth it going here.
The results are extremely mediocre compared to what you pay for

In June 2021 Dr. Fondacaro did my lower abdomen, flanks and chin smart lipo.
I advise him that another doctor told me that is pointless to do the chin because there is no fat there and I won't see any results. Dr. Fondacaro went ahead and did it for $1,800, why not... For the lower abs and flanks I paid $5,200.
In July 2022, after $7,000 spent plus more money spent on garments and lymphatic massages, my results are zero. I am being told now he can do a "retouch " for more money.
Very disappointing, find yourself a doctor who can deliver results!

I let the pictures speak for themselves. I'm overweight, if he could no find fat to lipo on my body! I look for help, and now I feel depressed with the results, waist of my time. I should believe in the bad reviews that I saw online.

I am still thinking why i wasted my big time for lipo. Dr.paul does not know how to fix it.. To the date my incisions hurting me.its been three years. Please dont listen what thy say. My all butt fat and thigh hip fat came back in 2 month only. It is just the way to chew $$$$$ thousands dollars.. I learned lesson. Better always try natural methods .it will give you best and permenent results. Agree on this. I need my 8k back.. 5 star reviews created by them only.