Robert B. Pollack, MD

I had never intended to seek out liposuction as a procedure and never put any thought into it until very recently. My primary goal was always rhinoplasty until a friend mentioned her having liposuction years prior and how great it was. I've always had "problem spots" and just decided to see how much it would cost since I would already be under general anesthesia and in theoperating room. I figured if the price was right I would go for it.

The doctor I chose for my nose has a partner he works with for body procedures since he is a facial specialist. I was able to get into contact with Dr. Pollack very quickly after my rhinoplasty consult. Due to covid we sent pictures online and we did all consulting on the phone till surgery day.

He was very explanative, answered all my questions, talked me through everything and gave me a great price for multi procedure discount and since I'm an RN.

He assured me it would feel like a hard workout, I'd be sore a few days and it would be smooth. He explained the incisions would be no bigger than 1/4 inch and placed discreetly and we agreed on my hips, abdomen and inner thighs. He assured me of there were any irregularities or issues within 6 months any followup (minus anesthesia) would be covered, but the risks were low. I was told I have thick, elastic skin which helped me to be a good candidate.

I decided I'd go for it, as this opportunity was unlikely to ever arise again for the price point!!

Updated on 9 Jun 2020:
We marked and agreed upon my problem spots preop.

Postop the first thing I noticed when I woke up was how bad my elbows hurt from the postion they were in during the procedure. They put bandages on my incisions and foam pieces and a girdle with an opening to go pee and poo- all before I woke up. My whole abdomen was pretty numb from the lido, but otherwise a bit sore. The doc came in and said everything went great and he got 4 pounds out and tried to numb me as much as possible.

My friends helped me up to pee and they sent me on my way.

Right when I got home I took 2 norco, between the nose and body I was hurting. I was very very sore and stiff as the day progressed and the lidocaine wore off. The body started to bother me more and more as the nose bothered me less. My friend had to help me go to the bathroom I was so sore.

The doc said to expect drainage from the bandages for the first 2 days so I kept padding under me to catch it but I never saw any. Orders were to keep on the girdle till I saw him in office monday for him to remove all the bandages.

My ultimate low was at 5am the morning after- my meds wore off too early and I had to wait for my next dose and was so uncomfortable between my body and nose, it was a definite low point. I took my dose at 5am and fell back asleep the best i had since surgery.

Updated on 9 Jun 2020:
Things were starting to get more uncomfortable. I would say a hard workout is not totally accurate (lol) but quite a bit more sore. By afternoon though (24 hours) I was getting myself up to the bathroom and making myself soup and my friend was able to leave. It was slow moving but I knew the more I moved the better I'd feel- and I did.
I tried to use ice packs as much as possible but with all the bandages they couldn't quite get to the source- it definitely helped a little though.

I spent this whole day taking my norco every 4 still to get me through it and napping- i knew the next day would likely be the worst.

Updated on 9 Jun 2020:
As expected..like a hard workout- this day was the most sore. I left too big of a gap between my meds and had another mini breakdown at 9am when I got up.

It was also the day of my appt to get my foam and bandages removed under the girdle. My friend brought me- 0 chance i could drive. He removed the girdle, checked the incisions, took all the padding and said everything looked great just swollen. He said my bruising was very minimal. My skin still felt SO numb and weird and tingly and creeped me out a bit. This he said would last for up to 6 weeks..yikes.. I got the ok to shower from neck down and to wash the girdle.

I knew this was 0 percent happening this day. We set up a video appt for 2 weeks and he said tomorrow would be better. I went home again- took 2 norco and passed out.

When i woke up around 5pm I felt much better and had a feeling i had already reached my lowest. Now that the foam and bandages were gone ice packs felt like heaven on my tummy and thighs. I just rotated them around over the girdle and SO SOOTHING. With this I was able to start weaning my norco down to 1 tab with 1 tylenol tab (making sure to stay below 4g a day). I set myself up with my icepacks and went to bed.

Updated on 9 Jun 2020:
Today was a big improvement- as I suspected. I did take 2 norco in the middle of the night but knew today I would stick with 1 and a tylenol. I vowed to get up and shower- so I did.

It's hard because in the midst of all this I have a broken foot and wear a boot but I was able to manage to shower lightly from shoulders down. It still creeps me out to rub my skin alot so it was a quick shower. I put the girdle in the wash which was weird. The compression helps ALOT more than you realize, I couldn't wait to get it back on. Once I did I laid back down with my ice and rested- that was a busy morning. The afternoon I got up few times, snacked, moved around and moved well. This I would say is extremely on point with the discomfort of a bad workout now- and much more tolerable. I think the weird numb skin bothered me more than any actual significant pain. I stuck to 1 norco around 11 and will likely take 1 at bedtime but overall the ice is my best friend. Took a couple quick pics. Not sure what I'm looking for at this point or what is good/bad but it's something.

No more drainage noted

Updated on 9 Jun 2020:
Tried to post pix with my day 3 update- it didn't work- pretty swollen and weird looking but he says all normal
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Updated on 11 Jun 2020:
Pretty much same stuff..things are feeling more on par with a hard hard workout soreness these last few days. I'm moving around much better and tolerating more..basically just on advil and tylenol. The girdle feels wonderful and ice packs are my best friend.

I finally was able to shower full body today and got some more pix. And noticed LOTs more bruising. The hole in my perineum area is causing fluid to collect there and bruised as i was warned. I've tried putting underwear under the spanx now and icing my vagina to prevent that. My thighs also have huge sore bruises. My abdomen feels smaller for sure and less numb but still definitely numb. I've also been itchy more.

Updated on 15 Jun 2020:
Things have been pretty much the same. My pain is stagnant at a very sore workout with sharp pains with certain movements. Ice still feels great. I'm sticking with just advil and tylenol. My body in general is getting sore too with just lack of movement. I want to STRETCH.


Very minimal spotty bruising on my abdomen but stull very localized to my lower belly/ thighs from dependent/gravity. Definitely over the pain at this point. My skin gets a LITTLE less/numb tingly every day
Yes I am still wearing the spanx he gave me 24/7 besides washing. I understand compression is necessary and it actually feels better. During the day I put my tight leggings on over it to add to the compression. Definitely still some swelling as expected. Ill include pix I took of 2 of my incisionsz the rest you really can't see already.

I definitely hoped/expected to be less sore by now but...hopefully soon!

Updated on 12 Jul 2020:
It's been around 1 month and things are looking good. I'm finally not sore. I would say I definitely felt some sort of discomfort till at least a month which surprised me. Im still fairly numb in the areas but slowly that's improving. I can tell there is still a fair bit of swelling especially in my lower tummy. It's very firm under the skin still.
The skin is slowly tightening up. I was just approved for physical activity per my nose doctor, but i still have a broken foot so I'm doing as much as possible to get active and tighten everything up! I'm also watching my diet and doing meal orders to keep me on track.
I ordered a waist trainer that I wear a few hours a day (it's hot!). The office girl recommended it. Can't hurt to keep everything squeezed and tight.
I have my followup pictures end of july so i anticipate that is when i can expect a fair amount of normalcy/healing.
The scars are so tiny you can barely notice them. And I'm feeling ALOT better in my clothes but haven't gone down a size as he anticipated..maybe later?
Will update after checkup with him! But so far so good
Pictures definitely don't do it justice.

After having three c sections and giving working out a try I decided to finally make my dreams come true. I had been researching for years tummy tucks but never did I know there was a such thing as a drain-less procedure. I’m beyond happy with my results and I’m currently PO 5 days. I visited with multiple drs in the San Diego area and was very overwhelmed until I met with Dr. Robert Pollack. I saw his information online and also got to see from two of his previous patients their results, honestly that’s what motivated me even more. Knowing from real patients from my community that had been under Dr. Pollack’s care and loved their results. He is the only plastic surgeon in the area who performs tummy tuck surgeries that are drain-less. Once I met with him and he explained how and what he would do to me to make sure I was happy with my results I booked my surgery date. My husband and I felt very happy when we met with him, during our pre op appt and surgery date. We saw him three days after my surgery so he could make sure everything looked great and I almost cried of happiness because I couldn’t believe how amazing my stomach and my torso looked. I’m still swollen so just imagine how amazing everything is going to look after the 6 weeks post op appt. I’m beyond happy I made this decision. I’m 32 years old and was very unhappy with my stomach appearance. Now I cannot wait to show off his amazing work!

Updated on 6 Mar 2019:


Updated on 11 Mar 2019:
I’m feeling better, I have my up and downs but over all I’m loving how small my waist is and my flat stomach. I cannot wait to see how I look after my 6 weeks are over. I’m still sleeping on my recliner and wearing the undergarment. I’m hoping by next week to feel comfortable enough to sleep on my bed again.

Updated on 11 Mar 2019:

I originally had liposuction done below my chin. The fat/skin would not go away no matter how much aerobics or facial stretching exercises I did, daily. This is my first experience with plastic surgery and, although I consulted with several surgeons before i selected one that suited me best, I didn’t realize that I’d have this extra lingering skin after just liposuction. I looked a bit better, but still not as good as I thought I could. I remember telling my surgeon that I did NOT want anything invasive (like tummy tuck and neck/lower face lift. But now, 6 months later, and with even more trust in the surgeon, I decided to go through with the neck lift and lower face lift. I’m currently 4 days post operation, and I am so swollen and worried the surgery will not give me the expected result. So, I’m hoping that others who have had this surgery done might give me advice on what to expect in the days to come.

I am 36 years old, 5'2, and 135lbs. I have two kids tat are 8 and 12. I breast feed both children for 1 year each. I started out as a D/DD. When I Gave birth to my first child I went to an E. When I was done nursing I went back to a D and thing still look ok. Than I had my second child. I went for a D to an F. Not cool!!! Way too big!!! When I was done nursing I went back to my D, but my girls looked like socks with sand at the bottom just hanging from my chest. When I would sit down my boobs would almost touch my belly button. Every summer we would go on family vacation and I did want to go in the pool with my kids because my girls would always make an appearance while I was trying to play with my kids. For the better part of 7 years I have really wanted to get this done. Every women I met that has theirs done I would ask of their experience and how they felt about their doctor. For the last year My husband and I have been doing our research to find the best doctor for us. I am half black and also had a concern about keloiding. After many years of talking with women and seeing the work of many different doctors there was this one lady, that is a friend of the family, that I would keep referencing. I loved her scaring, how they looked on her body, most of all how they looked 10 years later. Her boobs were 10years old and they look amazing. I did go to 4 different what I call interviews with other doctors and I didn't really care for them. Dr. Pollack and I were on the same page from day one. His entire staff is so nice and welcoming.

Updated on 11 Jul 2018:
So, this surgery is no joke. I was expecting to be down for a few days, but WOW. I was unprepared. I was down for the count for 7 days. Day 1 & 2 were very rough. days 2-5 I was super uncomfortable, but I didn't want to take any stronger medication. At 7 days I was able to move around more, but I was really tired. My son started school on my day 7 and I had to take him to school. I drove there than home and went back to sleep. I picked him up from school came home took my pain meds and went to sleep. That night I was in bed asleep by 7pm. I didn't realize how much I wouldn't be able to do. Lucky I did some prep crock pot meals a month earlier. so we had 10 nights worth of dinners.
When my husband and i took the day 2 pics I was a little worried because one is noticeably bigger than the other. During my pre opp the doctor and I talked about how one breast is slightly bigger than the other. To be honest I never realized one was bigger than the other until I started interviewing doctors. We both agreed to put the same size implants in both and the difference would be the same as it was before. So I will have faith that everything will work out in the end.
The skin on my breasts is very very tight. You know when you have had your bra on all day and all you wan to do is go home and take it off and let the girls hang? Thats what it felt like, but a little more intense.
All in all looks like everything is going according to plan. I am just tired of being in pain.

Updated on 12 Jul 2018:
For some reason I old get my pics to download when I wrote my last review. These are pics of Day 2 post opp. You can see I can’t stand o straight and there is lots of swelling still. This was the day I went back for my post opp appointment. I was very happy with how he reassured me berthing was looking good.

Updated on 16 Jul 2018:
So far so good. I am really liking how everything is going. I have my days where I freak out just little bit about the scaring, but it has only been 3 weeks. In reality the scaring is coming along just fine. I think it is just me being a girl and obsessing. My husband has to remind me its only been 3 weeks and there is still more healing to still happen. I am using the ScarAway patches for my scar therapy. I have read very good reviews on them and heard lots of good things about them from others. I will have to say I started using a patch on an other scar I had developed from an infected spider bite. It was really ugly. I have only been putting the patch on for a few days and I can see a huge difference. The color is changing back to normal and the lumpiness is staring to flatten out. So I think I am on to a good thing. All in all I am still really happy with my doctor and results.

I am 27 years old 180 pounds with no kids. I've been overweight my entire life. After losing 70 pounds, I decided to have a TT to remove my apron. I did a ton of research and tried tons of other things before I decided to have plastic surgery. I am 10 days post op from a drainless TT, and I couldn't be happier. I still have a lot of swelling and long road of recovery to go. My surgeon removed 3 pounds of skin and fat from my belly and 2 pounds of fat with lipo to my flanks, bra line and pubic area. This procedure was well worth the money and the pain.

Updated on 20 Jul 2018:


Updated on 11 Sep 2018:
I was 184 lbs on the day of surgery. I'm 6 mpo and now 172. I have no paid or soreness. I still can't believe this is my body. I am forever grateful to Doctor Pollack for going above and beyond my expectations. I wish I would have done this 5 years ago.

I am one week post op from a breast augmentation with gummy bear implants and a crescent lift on one side. Dr. Pollack is amazing! His staff called me on day 2 or 3 to see how I was doing. He called me personal that night. I am super pleased with my results so far and can't wait to have Dr. Pollack do a tummy tuck.

Dr. Pollack recently fixed my tired, saggy, 50-year old boobs after I lost a large amount of weight (augmentation lift and implants). His calm nature and overall knowledge of cosmetic surgery is what won me over. I had interviewed at least four other plastic surgeons and I knew immediately after meeting him that he was the right doctor for me. It's been two months since my surgery and I have received AT LEAST 30 compliments of "wow, you look great - what's different about you?" That's the best of the best - people cannot tell you've had work done, but you look and feel great. I would recommend Dr. Pollack for all your cosmetic surgical needs. He's simply the best.

I had been thinking about breast augmentation for at least 10 years and decided to finally go through with it. I had a lot of hesitation in the beginning and was scared if I went through with it, would I regret changing my body?  Now, 6 weeks later I can't tell you how happy I am with my results! I expected to maybe think they would be too big or not big enough (nothing is perfect), however Dr. Pollack was spot on. 

They showed me a bunch of before and after photos of others that were like me. The old implants were originally over top of the muscle and I was looking to get them put underneath the muscle. I had heard and seen a lot of horror stories on line and was nervous. 

After surgery I had some questions and concerns and Dr. Pollack was very quick to respond to everything. Unfortunately my body decided to not cooperate the first time around and didn't come out how I had wanted. It was no fault of anyone's that this happened. It was just how my body decided to handle the new implants, but I was not happy with the outcome. I spoke with Dr. Pollack about my feelings and concerns and he was kind and very understanding. He and his office took me back in as soon as possible. He took all the time I needed to talk with me, reassure me and put all my fears to rest. He had such confidence in himself that he could correct everything and make me happy with the outcome. They were able to get me back into surgery very quickly and he took care of all my issues. I am extremely happy with the outcome. I could not be happier. Even the scars are looking fabulous. My scars from my very first surgery with the different doctor were big, red and ugly and so I just figured that was how my body healed. Dr. Pollack did an incredible job with them this time and after only six weeks they look amazing. I am very impressed.

 

Eleven years after the birth of my son I finally found the resolve to change my stomach area. During my pregnancy I acquired mounds of stretch marks and flabby skin. My reasons for the surgery are the common story... no matter exercise area would not tighten...embarrassed of this part of my body...sick of wearing a one piece at the pool. I wanted to feel confident in my skin and have my body reflect the work I put into it.


On July 3rd I took the final step to make those desires a reality. The road to recovery was had ups and downs, however, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. The biggest piece of advise I can give to people is to not be held back by fear. I let fear hold me back from doing this for years. Finally, thank God, I just made the plunge. It was like jumping into a cold pool, once you find your Dr, you just have to jump in knowing you can come out wearing that cute bikini you always wanted to:)