Ruth Celestin, MD

As of today I am post-op week 6 from TT with muscle repair, Liposuction to the flanks and mons pubis area, fat transfer to the hips. I have been wanting to get this surgery done ever since I had my last child 22 years ago. I have been to over 7 consultation and yes the cost of each one ranged from ($50-$100). I gained so much Knowledge from each of my consultations. Dr. Celestin and her staff stood out the most due to their impeccable services that exceeded my expectations. Dr. Celestin office staff Holly and Janelle are 2 of the most awesome people you will ever want to meet. They where very patient with me as I can be a handful at times. Before and after the surgery I called/text/emailed them several time throughout the day with random questions about my surgery. They always got back to me promptly with an answer. No shade to other surgeons put Dr. Celestin is not your typical average surgeon as she is Heaven sent. From the moment I met her it was well founded. Dr. Celestin is down to earth, very attentive, responsive and made me feel comfortable and at ease. My surgery was done in ATL at Northside Hospital outpatient center. The hospital was very nice and clean, and the nurses were super sweet. Post op day 1 was uneventful, however I was so loopy from the anesthesia and meds I barley remember anything. I did not have any uncontrollable pain thought-out this whole procedure, the issue I had was swelling and constipation. I did opt in to get Exparel which help prolong the numbing effect to my abdominal area. I was cleared to fly back home 5 days post-op, after 2 face to face follow up appointments. The plane ride was fine but I would suggest that you request accommodation at the airport. When I got home the only real issues I had was them drains. In short I texted Dr. Celestin early one Sunday morning, she answered expeditiously and was able to walk me through solutions to rectify the problem with the drain. In closing, I've been dreaming so long about what I would look like after a TT etc..Never in a million years did I think or dream I would look this GOOD. My body is progressively changing for the better everyday. I want to publicly thank Dr. Celestin and her team for doing such an amazing job. I will continue to keep you all updated.

The staff is amazing here! They offer a variety of services and I cant wait to experience all of them!

Procedure: breast reduction 06/2024

This office/doctor will not disappoint! The pre op care was the same as surgery day and post op. Professional, caring and my results are even more beautiful than expected!! . My confidence has went through the roof just seeing myself 4 days later. I will be back for more services.

I had a breast reduction and full abdominoplasty with liposuction. I also had fat removed from back. First, I have to commend her office staff, Holly and Janel, for being very informative, caring, and helpful prior to my decision to have my procedures. Once I met Dr. Celestin, I knew I was in the right place. She was kind, honest and very knowledgeable. I finally booked my procedure, and the journey began. I am still in my recovery period, and all of these ladies have been hands on. If I had a question on the weekend, I received an immediate response. I go in for follow-ups, and I always feel welcomed. Needless to say, Janel has provided me with massages when needed, and Holly always has great advise regarding recovery. I truly appreciate this staff. I am still in my recovery phase, so I shall update you soon.

Height 5'3"

I have always had small breasts and have been consistently very thin throughout my life ranging from 100-120lbs. Over the past four years I consistently gained some weight through lifting weights and eating well and grew a booty! I wanted to do this procedure for a long time but I was worried that at 120lbs I wouldn't be able to harvest enough fat to make a big difference.

Pre-op, 1 week, I weighed 135-137lbs. I hated that no matter how much weight I gained I was still always very small in the chest. I didn't love my flanks, bra rolls, or stomach after the weight gain. I very easily lose weight due to having a high metabolism so I knew if I wanted a flat stomach and no bra rolls I'd just have to switch up my food consumption and gym routine and slim right down, at the risk of losing my booty. I did not want implants due to risk of BII and having to replace implants.

I realized that right now would probably be the best time to get lipo around my midsection and fill my breasts with what was harvested.

My appointment was 29 December. I ate extremely well in the days prior to surgery so my weight at the office was 140lbs. I went to Elite Body Sculpture in Atlanta, GA. I chose Dr. Celestin based on our mutual military history and taking a look at her other, more complex work on other patients. Dr. Celestin was amazing and I'm so blessed to have her as a provider. I feel she listened to me and we had a nice chat before and during the procedure...until I was a little too woo-woo on the laughing gas lol

The procedure itself was not exactly painless. I am a redhead--we tend to need more anesthesia than most folks, so unless im super super numbed, I tend to feel pain during any procedure. I was given dilaudid via injection before the procedure and then Dr. Celestin began numbing me. I have a high pain tolerance but SHEESH I was definitely uncomfortable as the cannula was inserted throughout my abdomen. Thankfully the laughing gas helped to send me into a more comfy state.

One of the weirdest things I remember is being very ticklish around my ribs, which I don't think was particularly normal but I was definitely laughing my butt off on that operating table each time she would be working on my ribs lol

Day 1 I was up and around, doing some chores. The pain was pretty high, mostly getting up and down from the bed and feeling pretty restricted in my faja. There was lots of cursing lol

Day 2 I was very grateful to be able to wash my garment and take a shower. I was still able to be up doing chores around the house and running errands with my SO.

Day 3 the pain began subsiding but my skin just felt weird, almost crunchy. I couldn't pop my back which was so frustrating! My breasts still felt extremely tight. Everything was pretty dang swollen.

Days 4-11 consistently got better with random days of extra pain. I still have numbness in certain places and zapping sensations from the nerves repairing themselves. My nipples are still extremely sensitive and I have some moderate discomfort in my left breast, but my right breast is settling nicely.

I am still waiting for the full results of the lipo. 2 days post-op I weighed 143lbs. I am now down to 138 at the 11-day mark.

Some things that I think have helped me recover very quickly are taking vitamin C, concentrated aloe Vera capsules, and chlorella after the surgery. Chlorella is full of iron, vitamin c helps absorb iron, and the three vitamins are great for the immune system and for collagen production, which is super important for skin laxity. My mom is a nurse and has used this holy grail combo to recover from much more intense spinal surgeries so I took a page from her book.

Overall I'm very pleased and had healthy expectations when going into this procedure. I plan on doing it again with Dr. Celestin (lipo in thighs next round) to achieve the fullest breast shape/size possible when I'm fully healed from this surgery. I know I'm still very early in the healing journey but I wanted to share.

Updated on 17 Jan 2024:
Wow! It's already been 20 days! This is gonna be a whole brain dump, so bear with me. The ADHD is strong lol.

I definitely am feeling a lot better. The most uncomfortable thing is wearing the faja all the time...but not for reasons you might think! The garment given to me has become just slightly too loose so I have been trying several stage 2 fajas that give my thighs a little more room to wear skirts but that is proving to be difficult, because none fit around my waist as comfortably as the garment I received after surgery.

I actually feel better in my faja because my skin doesn't move and stretch as much as when I take it off. It's very bizarre, but if I've had my garment off for too long my body knows and I have to go put it back on.

My swelling has come down immensely, but it's almost disappointing to see how the swelling has dissipated in my breasts because, my gosh, no woman has ever told me about the absolute POWER you feel when your boobs are big and bouncy and gorgeous lol (listen, I was prepared to only see a one cup increase but it's still wild to see the difference in the swelling!)

Sleeping on my back is proving to be very uncomfy but I accept that I paid for these boobs in more ways than one and I'm not going back to that Itty bitty life. I feel so much more myself! It's a hard feeling to describe!

The zappy nerve pain has gone away but I still have a lot of numbness in my abdomen. I've had a few areas from the lipo that I think I'll want retouched and the next round I am going to have Dr. Celestin take fat from my low back and inner thighs and maybe touch up my flanks depending on how they settle. I've considered doing both inner and outer thighs simultaneously but I've been reading medical studies on periodic fat grafting and I think I'll leave the outer thighs for "just in case" I decide to go through a third procedure in the future. Don't want to waste any precious fat!

I do a lot of reading through other grafting reviews and testimonials before bed most nights, along with studies on fat transfer procedures (typically these are related to restorative work after trauma).

I am so happy with my body already and I feel like I still need to be patient and wait out the swelling to see "final" results. I have even compared a few photos at thinner weights and realize that I love my body more and I don't feel like I have to get right back to the gym rat life. It feels good to not just be skinny.

I've been moving around, working, doing what I need to as far as chores a yard work are concerned, but also respecting my body's healing journey because I want the most optimal outcome. I'm not doing anything too strenuous for longer than 30mins at a time

My breasts are starting to soften and get very bouncy, and it's so amazing to just grab them whenever I have a private moment and feel the difference in my body. My S/O laughed because I fell asleep clutching onto them one night recently...oops lol

I think in my next round I will want to add fat a little higher on my chest, just to increase the profile and to ensure that as gravity pulls them downward, they don't end up covering my tattoos on my abdomen. I may also want to fill my right breast a smidge more than the left in my next transfer.

My skin feels pretty loose in my abdomen but tight in my back. I am hoping that the skin on my abdomen bounces back, and I'm still on my holy grail vitamin regimen.

I can't stress enough how amazing my back looks. I have always been apt to carry fat in my back so I am really pleased with the bra rolls area. I think I need sculpting around my lumbar to really bring out the peachy shape of my butt and to look a little less square in the hips, but I'm glad I held off because I want to be able to access as much fat as possible for the next transfer.

Anyways that's all I have to say for now. I am still pleased and recovering greatly.

Updated on 7 Feb 2024:
It's been 40 days already! Yay!

I came down with covid, diagnosed on Jan 26th. That was a doozy, I was very worried about my results but everything seems to be okay.

I'm quite happy with my breasts still, but I think I'd like to do a revision around my belly button and flanks. I am also going to do low back and thighs in my next session. I'm also waiting to make a final determination on the revision because I know I'm still healing a lot and my skin's laxity is recovering. I'm still VERY happy, I just think I'd like my flanks to be a little less boxy. By adding my low back, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to achieve my ideal aesthetic. And by adding upper/inner thighs I'll be able to harvest enough fat for another transfer, which I'd like to place in my upper breasts as well as round out the front of my breasts around my sternum. I hope that makes sense.

I've started lightly working out again. I'm feeling a bit nervous to go "too hard" but I also had my labs drawn this week at my primary care and recognize that I need to do more physical activity, based on my HDL and LDL levels. I haven't been as active in the last year as I've had several surgeries.

My biggest motivator right now is getting back into good conditioning and building muscle so there will be a nice change that happens over the next few months as I get back to myself again. :)

Updated on 24 Feb 2024:
Woo! I've gotten myself back into the gym and working on muscle gains and weight maintenance. I weigh 137lbs currently. I'd like to not lose too much so I'm keeping calories up...high protein high fat and moderate carbs. I'm eating intuitively and not tracking calories. I'm still not really obsessed with my flanks and I'm hoping the poof around my belly button subsides between months 3 and 6 like I've read in other reviews but everything else I am so thrilled with, especially my back bra rolls and my breasts. My breasts have not lost significant volume since the third week. Definitely want to put more fat in down the line but I'm overall really pleased. I wish I had taken the photos prior to eating this morning but here's a view after I had a nice big breakfast to prep myself for the gym and a few cups of tea. :)

Updated on 10 May 2024:
Hello! I am writing this update 133 days out from surgery, which is 19 weeks. My 6mo PO appointment is next month.

I've lost 4lbs with some attention to diet and exercise. I have seen quite a bit of volume loss in my breasts so I am trying to maintain approximately where I am at until my 6mo PO appointment.

I would like to get a few things changed and still contemplating adding more fat into my breasts as I am a little sad with how much my volume has gone down. Now, my breasts look really great in a bra and I'm obsessed with how they look in clothing, but I'm not obsessed with how I look naked.

I absolutely love the results of the back bra roll area. But I don't love the squareness of my flanks so I'm hoping Dr Celestin can accommodate. I also don't love the pocket of fat around my belly button and I feel like the upper abdominal area could use some tlc.

Could I lose the weight naturally?? Absolutely. It's been easy for me to drop a few lbs. But I'm not wanting to lose the booty! So we will see what happens next. I am trying to be patient and not hit the gym too hard so that I can use all the fat for my breasts during my next transfer. Let's see where this goes!

For photo reference: post-op left. Pre-op right.

Dr Celestin was simply amazing! Her “bedside manners” from the initial consultation up until my 3 month post op check up (which was today) has been so patient, kind & comforting. I would highly recommend her.

I was wanting to do something for myself and didn't want to go to Miami I wanted to be home jic something went wrong and I am so glad that I chose Dr. Celestin she has great bedside manners and is very personable with her patients I love her and her staff is wonderful I'm satisfied with my results

I had a TT/BBL with Dr. Celestin in May. I am currently approaching 7 weeks post OP. Dr. Celestin gave me the perfect hourglass shape for my body. I feel so much more confident in my clothes & can wear a lot of things that I would have never though of trying on. Dr. Celestin does surgery at Northside Hospital and my nurses and entire experience there great. When I had 2 rough nights in my recovery process Dr. Celestin was available to give me advice to help me to feel better and answered in a timely manner as well. I'm so glad that I chose her as my surgeon & if I ever get plastic surgery again, she will be my doctor of choice.

Dr. Celestin and her entire staff are AMAZING! There is such genuine warmth and friendly atmosphere in Dr. Celestin’s office. I was nervous and apprehensive about getting a breast augmentation and tummy tuck and Dr. Celestin is very knowledgeable and answered all questions, which gave me confidence.
The office staff went above and beyond the call of duty to schedule my procedures and post op appointments. My incisions are healing well with minimal scaring and no complications. I am so glad I made the choice to go with Dr. Celestin as my surgeon. I encourage everyone to choose Dr. Celestin as your plastic surgeon, you won’t regret it!

Top qualities:
Excellent communication, professionalism, and care!

Great experience! Dr. Celestin is amazing she worked miracles on my body. Great staff, love my results.Dr. Celestin is very down to earth and made me feel extremely comfortable. I was able to keep in touch with her during the process and after as well. I really felt at home there and have recommended several people. I wanted to look like me, just a more fit version of myself. I think she did a great job and helping me to achieve that.

Dr. Celestin is an angel ! I am 5wpo and I am already loving my results and I’m not even done healing yet. The confidence that comes along with this is such a blessing! My swelling is minimal and my scar is barely noticeable. I am very happy so far. I have had 2 follow up appointments and each time the results get better and better. Dr. Celestin and Keisha are AWESOME!