Richard Sadove, MD

I have struggled with acne scars since I was 15! I tried so many other methods to remedy it over the years with little result. I felt so fortunate to find a compassionate doctor who specializes in acne scars. Doctor Sadove met with me three times via Zoom prior to our procedure to make sure he thoroughly understood my skin and its needs. Him and his staff were very patient and kind with wonderful bedside manner. I’ll be updating this post for 3 months as I document my progress.

December 28, 2023:
- fat grafting from side flank
- blood drawn for prp
- face marked in problem areas to focus
- excision performed on 5 areas of the face
- subscion and fat injection performed on both cheeks
- laser performed on small area of forehead (doctor was very generous to offer this!)
Summary of procedure:
This was such an interesting procedure to be fully conscious for! Doctor Sadove and his assistant were wonderful with thoroughly explaining everything being performed. It was an intimidating procedure that they made me feel calm during. I felt like I was in good hands. The most painful part of this process was the needle injections for the local anesthesia. Besides that, the doctor made it fairly painless. As you can see in the pictures, I was very swollen post procedure. The anesthesia also made my vision a bit blurry for a while, and they were nice enough to let me relax a bit so I could be more comfortable for my drive home. The most painful part post procedure is the fat donor site on my side. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic and optional pain medication. More updates to come!

Updated on 30 Dec 2023:
Swelling is reduced. Face looks asymmetrical currently as more swelling seems to be on my right then left, but their post op instructions mentioned that could happen so I’m not yet concerned. I feel slightly nervous of how the excisions will heal since it looks like skin around the excision is raised. Only time will tell! Skin coloration looks surprisingly nice with little bruising. The small area between my eyebrows that was lasered hasn’t caused any pain and I feel it will heal nicely! I’m taking antibiotics prescribed twice daily and opted to not take the pain medication as pain is bearable. There is a bit of a dent on my hip where the fat was taken but it’s still early so it may fill in with time. Next update will be on my first post op appointment on January 9th as the doctor takes my stitches out of the excision site. You can see images from 2 days post op.

Updated on 5 Jan 2024:
Stitches were removed and the Doctor placed a type of scar bandage on my excisions which will stay on for 4 days. Acne scars look great still. Much softer. Hoping that continues. One cheek seemed to have kept more of the fat injections than the other. So I look a bit asymmetrical as my right cheek is larger then my left. I mentioned this to the doctor and he said it was too early to be concerned. He said to avoid being obsessive and spending too much time in the mirror. To give the face enough time to heal and for the bruises and fat injections to settle. I’ll be doing my best to be patient! I’ll share updates on how the excision scars heal and how the cheeks settle from the subscion and fat grafting. More to come!

Updated on 29 Jan 2024:
I still have some bruising but it has mostly subsided. I began massaging my cheeks gently per the Doctor's recommendation. I’m still a bit fuller on one cheek than the other, and I see my scars resurface again (it still looks much softer than they were originally). Doc said not to be concerned. It’s too early and to wait on the three month mark. He said it would settle and look symmetrical by then. My excisions are still very red and will take time to heal. Dr. Sadove reminded me to be patient. I’m doing the best I can! I’ve also been wearing scar sheets 24/7 to expedite and improve the healing of the excisions. I wear them everywhere and have only occasionally took them off for nights out. My next update will be at the 3 month mark!

Updated on 13 Mar 2024:
It’s a week shy of 3 months post op. I met with doctor Sadove to see how things are progressing and to decide on next steps.
Areas of Focus:
- hip got a dip from the fat grafting. (Note that most probably won’t make a dip. Mine was under a surgery scar. That is most likely why it dipped.)
- excision of mole made an indent on my cheek. (Moles may be a bit different to excision than most other excisions.)
- left cheek still has rolling scar (pictured)

Overall Summary :
Scars are still softer than before! There are still some areas of concern of which I mentioned above, but Dr. Sadove listened to my concerns patiently and recommended the following:
- hip to be filled from buttock fat
- mole excision indent to be excisioned
- rolling scar to be injected with hyleronic acid to the dermis layer (longer lasting)

I’ll be back in office for the above in 2 months! More updates to come.

Updated on 3 Oct 2024:
I did go back to Dr. S who filled my hip as much as he could from the dent, added injections to my cheek scars as well, and tried to correct my mole removals which he offered for free.
Cons:
- one cheek looked to have kept more of the fat than the other leading to facial asymmetry
- one excision I actually didn’t know we were doing did not heal well. It became a stretch scar and looks much more noticeable than whatever was there before. A new insecurity.
- I didn’t see the progress I wanted on my large rolling scar to the extent I’m still hiding my face under my hair and looking for other options.
- the two surgical scars from fat grafting donor sight are noticeable and raised.
Pros:
- my one icepick scar on my temple that was excisioned came out great! Replaced a scar with a less noticeable scar.
- hip dent not fully fixed but better than before!
- cheeks are fuller and more youthful looking.

Overall, I’m not sure if I’d recommend due to the pain, risk, downtime, and cost. I may reach out to Dr. S once more and may update this soon.

I had subcision plus fat graft for acne scarring procedures done by Dr. Sadove. I’ve gone to see multiple specialists throughout the years and no one was able to help with my concern or spent the time and care that Dr. Sadove did. From the beginning, he thoroughly explained all options, potential outcomes and ensured I was comfortable with the plan. The results have been amazing and exactly what he predicted. Dr. Sadove is a veteran and truly passionate about what he does and I’m so happy I trusted him as I know some of these procedures may look a bit scary. I felt extremely well looked after by Dr. Sadove and his team. After having my procedure done Dr. Sadove and his team monitored my healing process and they were always been just a message away which put me at ease throughout the whole process. After 2 months into my treatment Dr. Sadove insisted for me to return to the clinic for a touch up on a few areas on my face, at this point my face looked 60% better which I was satisfied already. I say a degree of improvement we have achieved is over 90% which I’m really happy about. (3 months into the treatment). Patient is a virtue! I can honestly 100% recommend Dr. Sadove and his amazing team if you’re struggling with acne scarring. I wish I’d found him sooner as not only I got improvement in my skin but it also has had a positive impact on my mental well-being. I highly recommend Dr. Sadove and his clinic.

Dr. Sadove is great! He has excellent bedside manner and makes personal procedures feel comfortable. He is extremely flexible, I underwent breast augmentation and had the majority of my pre visits via zoom as I did not live in town! That made the entire experience extremely easy. Minimal pain post operatively and I absolutely love them! Great work!!

Dr. Richard Sadove of Gainesville Florida!!!!

On April 7th 2022 I had a breast augmentation done by Dr. Richard Sadove! I could not be more grateful and satisfied with the results. Dr. Sadove and his staff were able to get me in Surgury within a week of me inquiring about a breast augmentation. Dr. Sadove spent time going through all my questions making sure that I was 100% comfortable going through with the procedure. What I loved most about Dr. Sadove was how friendly, educated and knowledgeable he was about this specific procedure. He made my breasts look natural and was able to tell me how big he was able to do them without any further complications or having them be to big that I lacked proper proportion.. I was back at work within 6 days after Surgury.. It’s now been almost 2 months and I love the way my breast look. Thank you Dr. Sadove!!! I could have not chose a better surgeon !!

I can’t say enough about Dr Sadove, his office staff, and everyone at the North Florida Surgical Pavilion. I had brachioplasty and blepharoplasty. Never having surgery before, I was a bit anxious. From the first conversation with Dr Sadove I felt like I was speaking with a friend.He answered all my questions and I never felt rushed. I drove 2 hours to see Dr Sadove and would drive twice as far if needed. I would give him 10 stars if I could.

After months AND MONTHS of searching for a Surgeon who does this procedure, I was so happy I found & chose Dr Sadove! Immediately after viewing his OUTSTANDING before and after pictures and history of his work, I didn't have to think twice, I called and booked my surgery with him for labiaplasty!!

All week BEFORE my surgery, I was a nervous wreck (scared, nervous, crying, a mess!) (Now I can say I stressed myself out for nothing!)

I traveled 3 1/2 hours for Dr Sadove.
Upon arriving on my surgery day, Dr Sadove & all staff made me feel very welcomed. The facility was beautiful, clean, & the music was very calming and nice to hear.

During the procedure: Dr. Sadove was very informative and gentle (I didn't feel a thing!!) His lovely assistant was the sweetest as she comforted me and stood by my side the whole time!

I am recovering very well and I LOVE MY RESULTS & I highly recommend Dr Sadove!
* No pictures due to not wanting to publicly post my private area, but trust me when I say- Big difference, I love my Results, Happy Patient, Extremely glad I chose Dr Sadove!!

THANK YOU DR SADOVE & STAFF!!

Dr Sadove is the best hands done. This is my 3rd procedure but my first liposuction procedure. I'm healing good and taking my time. I stayed out of work for 2 weeks and I must say I wouldn't go to nobody but Dr. Sadove.. He is so nice and has an excellent bed side manner. He cares about me and understands how to scope my body. This was the best decision I've made. No more bra rolls, saddle bags nor hip dip. It's going to be a beautiful summer. Thank you so much Dr. SADOVE. You are a wonderful Doctor and truly understands how to care for your patient's needs. You are family.

Executed technically advanced procedure perfectly. It worked.
Underwent subcision with fat filler. Procedure day was smooth. Procedure wasn't fun, but tolerable. Day of, had a bad headache on sides of head/face. Next day, no analgesics needed. I followed post-op instructions meticulously. Face healed without a hitch.
I can't imagine trusting any other surgeon to do this to my face.

Dr. Sadove is an amazing artist! For years, I had imagined being voluptuous. I had curves and decent breasts, just not as big or full as I wanted. This year, I decided to gift a set of boobs for myself for my birthday. I had several consultations with Dr. Sadove. He and Tera made me feel comfortable and at ease.....a difficult thing when I’m talking about and showing off pictures of “my girls” to two people I didn’t know. I explained (in detail) what I did and did not want and we looked and talked over pictures. He said he understood what his job was - and that he did! I have a beautiful set of “girls” now! They are exactly how I wanted them. I have the cleavage I wanted and they are nice and shapely - and proportionate. My nipples are where they should be and my feeling in them is almost back to normal after 6 weeks post surgery (one nipple was really sensitive in the beginning). I had very little pain after surgery and was back to work after a long weekend! My incisions were nicely done and are almost healed. I’m truly amazed - and they look amazing. His after surgery care was top notch. His attitude, attention and care were important - a conversation I had with my nurse in the surgery center that was prepping me for surgery. I asked how long she knew him and worked with him and what she thought of him. She said, “He’s a great surgeon and a nice man. I hate to say it, but most of the surgeons treat us poorly. They might be nice to their patients, but mean to us. But not Dr. Sadove, he has always been kind and good to work with. I’ve never seen him be mean to anyone.”
That spoke volumes to me; I knew that I had made the right decision and that I was in good hands with a kind man that has a caring spirit. Not only is he kind spirited, but a perfectionist in his work. I love “my girls” and I loved my experience with Dr. Sadove and his staff. I would do it again using Dr. Sadove - tens times over!

Updated on 15 Jul 2020:
Dr. Sadove is an amazing artist! For years, I had imagined being voluptuous. I had curves and decent breasts, just not as big or full as I wanted. This year, I decided to gift a set of boobs for myself for my birthday. I had several consultations with Dr. Sadove. He and Tera made me feel comfortable and at ease.....a difficult thing when I’m talking about and showing off pictures of “my girls” to two people I didn’t know. I explained (in detail) what I did and did not want and we looked and talked over pictures. He said he understood what his job was - and that he did! I have a beautiful set of “girls” now! They are exactly how I wanted them. I have the cleavage I wanted and they are nice and shapely - and proportionate. My nipples are where they should be and my feeling in them is almost back to normal after 6 weeks post surgery (one nipple was really sensitive in the beginning). I had very little pain after surgery and was back to work after a long weekend! My incisions were nicely done and are almost healed. I’m truly amazed - and they look amazing. His after surgery care was top notch. His attitude, attention and care were important - a conversation I had with my nurse in the surgery center that was prepping me for surgery. I asked how long she knew him and worked with him and what she thought of him. She said, “He’s a great surgeon and a nice man. I hate to say it, but most of the surgeons treat us poorly. They might be nice to their patients, but mean to us. But not Dr. Sadove, he has always been kind and good to work with. I’ve never seen him be mean to anyone.”
That spoke volumes to me; I knew that I had made the right decision and that I was in good hands with a kind man that has a caring spirit. Not only is he kind spirited, but a perfectionist in his work. I love “my girls” and I loved my experience with Dr. Sadove and his staff. I would do it again using Dr. Sadove - ten times over

I came to Dr. Sadove looking for subcision with filler treatment for my acne scarring. He was very professional and assured me throughout every step of the process. 8 months later I can confidently say that my acne scars have shown at least 70% improvement with one treatment. One thing to keep in mind is that it takes a while for the collagen to regenerate underneath the skin; I had minor improvements until around the 5 month mark, when my skin finally started to improve drastically. So it's important to give your body time for it to heal and do its job. I would highly recommend Dr. Sadove for anyone looking to have this treatment done.