Initially, I thought my BBL result was great during the first year after surgery, but then I gained weight and it ruined my shape. The body changes with age and life experiences. This is why it's best to have smaller volume fat injections at different stages to get a better sense of how natural body changes affect your results. I had BBL revision with Dr. Svehlak in Feb. 2023. He also did lipo revision because the original surgeon in Cali, Colombia left me with contour irregularities in several places from over-aggressive liposuction. I couldn't get the full sense of my contour irregularities until all my swelling went away. That was a full year after surgery. Ladies, I recommend having surgery done in in the USA, and not travel to another country no matter how cheap it is or how much experience the doctor seems to have. It’s too risky, and if there are complications that you discover after your swelling goes away, your foreign doctor most likely won’t take responsibility, won’t be honest to tell you they don’t know how to fix it, and will charge you full price or more than your initial procedure. Also, perceptions of beauty can be different in different countries. In Colombia, I asked for a small hip augmentation and fat injection to my middle and lower buttock. But, that’s not what they gave me. For some reason (I guess due to the Colombian doctor’s perception of beauty bigger is better), the doctor injected way too much fat in my hips, none in the lower buttock, and gave me a shelf booty. She did that after I clearly explained what I wanted, and after I showed her wish pics. There was no misunderstanding due to miscommunication. I was born and raised in Cali, Colombia. I have a house there. I know about all the history of plastic surgery there. I speak perfect Spanish with a Caleno (i.e., Cali) dialect. It was a complete disaster. The other crazy thing is how they perform lymphatic drainage message in Cali, Colombia. The massage therapists there re-open the liposuction incisions and they push all the accumulated lymphatic fluid out of the body through the incisions!!!! That was extremely painful. That’s not how lymphatic drainage massage should be done. Fast forward from the initial surgery in Feb 2019 to my revision surgery with Dr. Svehlak in Feb 2023 – Amazingly, Dr. Svehlak fixed almost everything, and now I only need a small touch up that he'll do in 2024. He corrected mostly all the contour irregularities by breaking up fibrosis (internal scar tissue), adding fat to dents, and spot lipo to high areas. He made my hips smaller and reshaped my butt. He prefers small volume fat transfer at different stages, and he places more emphasis on improving shape instead of increasing size. I had BBL revision, lipo revision, and fat transfer to face, hands, and calves. Right after surgery, I weighed 165 pounds, now three months later I weigh 158 pounds after weight training and doing just 5 LPG endermologie treatments. My butt hasn't shrunk because I'm doing some major weight lifting for my lower body. In fact, my butt is a little bigger with better projection, and the shape is better too. For those considering to have a BBL. Pay the money to do it right the first time. In the long run, it can be cheaper and you can be happier sooner. Have your surgery done in the US with a highly experienced plastic surgeon that is board certified. Don’t be fooled by before and after pics. After pics taken before 1 year after surgery are useless since the final result from the lipo and BBL doesn’t appear until after 12 months. If you want a major augmentation, don’t under-estimate surgeons who prefer smaller volume fat injection, such surgeons can still get you to your goal, but they may prefer 2 to 3 rounds. The body changes with age and life experiences. This is why it's best to have smaller volume fat injections at different stages so you can get a better sense of how natural body changes affect your results. Otherwise, after injection of 1000 to 1200 per each cheek during a single procedure, you may need a revision years later. Also, in foreign countries where there is a big market for cosmetic surgery and medical tourism, plastic surgeons there are under a lot of pressure to find new patients (especially patients who pay with Dollars or Euros) for the following reason: In those countries, there can be too many plastic surgeons practicing in any given large city. Cali, Colombia alone has over 300 plastic surgeons, and 30 to 40 surgery centers. Each year, a number of new surgeons enter the field and start practicing. This is one of the reasons why surgery is so cheap. The surgeons have to be cost competitive, so they can’t charge too much. The surgery centers there take advantage of these doctors, and treat them like short-term contractors because surgeons that are permanent staff have to compete with surgeons who just rent the surgery facility. This means permanent staff surgeons have to compete to schedule new surgeries, and the permanent staff surgeons have very little leverage for negotiating initial salaries and pay increases. This all affects the quality of the surgery a patient receives and makes the job less rewarding. It hurts the profession. Over-worked, stressed-out, and financially desperate surgeons racing to find the next patient, for who they schedule too little time to complete the surgery (hence poor results); surgeons who are married couples performing surgery on a single patient at the same time, with both getting paid; financially greedy and desperate surgeons who over-promise and mislead patients (especially those paying with Dollars or Euros) by saying they can competently perform several complex procedures in less than 7 hours without assistance from another surgeon, and the patient can fly home in just 7 to 10 days; either poor or no follow-up/after care (not even a telephone call or email message) with the surgeon; and either insufficient or no documentation of post-op recovery protocol that needs to be followed by patients. These issues would be all in addition to language barriers between the patient and surgeon, and differences in the day-to-day quality of life experiences (e.g., security, amount of traffic, and levels of amenities) between the US and a foreign country like Colombia or the DR. US tourists might not realize these differences exist before arriving to those countries, and they may become very frustrated. Updated on 2 May 2023: I thought my shape right after my initial surgery was sexy. But I had a lot of swelling that hid imperfections from the lipo. The surgeon injected too much fat in my hips and injected fat in my upper buttock. I had a shelf. At first it didn't bother me, but after I gained some weight my upper buttock and hips grew the most. It was crazy. My butt looked apple shaped with the widest part being at the top. The risk for something like this increases when injecting too many CCs during a single procedure. Updated on 7 May 2023: It was the Colombian doctor who botched me at CQB in Cali, Colombia in Feb 2019. The surgeon gave me lipo 360, BBL with fat added to my hips, breast lift, fat transfer to breasts, and cesarian scar revision in less than 4 hours!!! The CQB surgeon ripped me off too, because I also paid for fat transfer to my face that the person claimed to have done, but never did. I paid $12,000 USD. I thought my shape right after my initial surgery was sexy. But I had a lot of swelling that hid imperfections from the lipo. The surgeon injected too much fat in my hips and injected fat in my upper buttock. I had a shelf. At first it didn't bother me, but after I gained some weight my upper buttock and hips grew the most. It was crazy. My butt looked apple shaped with the widest part being at the top. The risk for something like this increases when injecting too many CCs during a single procedure. Also, I had contour irregularities (waviness and dents) on my abdomen and torso, back, inner and outer thights. After 2 years, I started to have consultations with several revision surgeons. They all told me the real cause of my issues, but Dr. Svehlak was the only one we felt could do the revision surgery because of his experience. The problems were caused by the surgeon in Colombia. In Feb 2023, Dr. Svehlak effectively addressed most of the issues. I will see him in 18 months to complete the rest. Take Care
This is a very long overdue review. I have honestly wanted to do this for many years and finally just sat myself down to do it. Dr. Svehlak is so deserving of the greatest recognition for his services. I first saw him in 2003 for a rhinoplasty procedure. From the moment I met him, I knew he was going to be the one to do this. He was so calm and friendly and listened to everything I said. He knew I was very concerned with my facial profile and recommended a chin implant to go with the rhinoplasty. He showed me pictures of how it would look and said it would enhance my profile very nicely. I agreed and he was not pushy at all when making that recommendation. The procedure was flawless and I came out the other side so very pleased with my results. (I am not showing pictures because I would like to keep them private.) His bedside manner was impeccable and like no other surgeon I have dealt with. At the time of my rhinoplasty consultation, I also mentioned I was interested in getting a breast lift. I had very large breasts from childhood and gravity was beginning to take its toll on them. He took a look and said, “come back and see me in ten years”. No joke.Cut to ten years later (2013), I did not wait another minute, I called and scheduled a consultation for my lift. I did not even consult with any other doctors. I knew he was the one for me. He was in a newer office and much fancier, but that did not change his attitude. Still the nicest guy ever. With the best bedside manner. The procedure was perfect and I finally had my breasts back up to where they belonged. I ended up having a little setback not long after as a stitch came undone inside my breast and caused some internal bleeding. It was a Sunday afternoon, I got him on the phone immediately and he got me right in to take care of it. I was a bit of a wreck with my husband trying to calm me down and the second I saw Dr. Svehlak, I calmed right down knowing I was in the best of hands. All was well.Since my lift, I’ve done a few other things with Dr. Svehlak as well as some Botox and fillers. He actually does the fillers himself which I really like. One other very important thing I would like to note, his office is not pretentious AT ALL. It is state-of-the-art in every way and his staff is very friendly, warm, and comforting. I know some Los Angeles and Beverly Hills cosmetic surgery offices can be quite intimidating. Not here.I’m in my mid 50’s now and have already been through menopause. The hot flashes finally stopped, but suddenly my whole face and neck started drooping and the jowls were getting out of control. So what did I do? I scheduled a consultation for a lower face and neck lift. I had the procedure in mid-March of 2021 and I am still healing. I have zero scars on the front of my ears and the backs of my ears are almost completely healed. Nobody even knows I had anything done. (you aren’t supposed to look like a different person after a facelift, just less wrinkles) I got my haircut the week before the procedure and now that I’m back out and about friends are just saying I look so fresh and young!! It’s the best feeling. In closing I just want to say, if you are ever considering any type of cosmetic surgery or procedure, look no further. Dr. Svehlak does beautiful work, he is kind and a total perfectionist. He is proud of all he does. His office staff is lovely and without Veronica, I don’t know how he would keep things rolling since he is so busy. She is a such pleasure to deal with each and every time I need her and she is ALWAYS making me feel like a million bucks. Not to mention she looks like a million bucks herself! Thank you Dr. Svehlak and team for being in my life the last 18 years! Wishing you the best always!! Updated on 26 Sep 2021: I felt I owed it to Dr Svehlak to make this update to my original post. I don’t want to show my whole face but I think what I’m posting will definitely show you what an amazing job he did on my lower face and neck lift. Pic one was pre procedure in March of 2021 and the second pic is September 26 2021. I couldn’t be more thrilled with my results. No pulled face look and YOUNG AGAIN!!! So natural. P.S. I just turned 55. Updated on 18 Feb 2022: A lot of you have asked for more pictures. I am happy to post them. I am almost a year out now and all is well. I couldn’t be happier. Best thing I ever did!! I will do my best to answer any questions when I can. Updated on 18 Feb 2022: Here’s a pic so you can clearly see that I finally have a jawline too. That was what I wanted most out of this whole procedure. Of course I wanted to get rid of the sagging skin on my neck and chin as well.
As many of you know i was essentially botched 3 times. One by Dr Lacerna, had i not met her i would be in the predicament i am today or with the other surgeons. She essentially liposuctioned 2 liters of fat from my thighs and put it in my buttock. there were bumps and dents everywhere... the skin had adhered to the muscle and my skin had become a completely different color. tried to fix it with dr lowen. I was extremely young and this is a buisness, but i don’t believe he has the true expertise as a revision specialist. It just doesn’t make since going in a non suction vaser to go back and forth in my legs essentially all it did was cause more scar tissue and bumps and more discoloration. i feel he was nice but i was like a guinne pig and he didn’t really know what he was doing. he also over liposuctioned my banana roll and it caused my buttock to completely drop. I went through deep depression for probably 6 months because of all of this... i also went to many many many many surgery consultations and by this point i realized how brutal the world of plastic surgery really is. so many surgeons they are sales men, and that’s what they do... even if it’s not the best thing for you, they want to take your money. so finding someone genuine after going through botch’s was rather difficult. I had met with a surgeon in new york, “dr Khan”... i initially was going to go with her as well. she was going to do spot lipo on me and fill some of the dents on my legs and try to fill the crease under my butt. she expressed to me that we are dealing with a very small amount of fat and i understood but wanted to continue to look. I ended up meeting Dr svehlak in west hollywood. i told him my entire story. we talked for like an hour... i told him all my fears and what i wanted and we set up a game plan i was going to have surgery with him. He was going to do upper back lipo waist lipo, and lower back lipo, and upper stomach lipo. With all the fat he would be able to get he was going to release all the dimples and put fat transfer in them... he would also put fat in my crease that had fallen from botched lipo. he was also going to put 100 cc of fat in a large leg dent the dr lacerna the asian surgeon did to me. and any remaining fat he was going to put in my hips or any other dents! I also got chin lipo and jawline lipo with him as well. when i woke up from surgery he told me he was able to get 1000 CC of fat and he used every single bit of it! i was amazed because dr khan said i had no fat really to work with. Anyways it’s still very early on. i think he is an excellent surgeon. i’m swollen but i can tell my butt is no longer sitting on my leg. i’m sure in a few months i will need a touch up procedure because i am quite picky and still have more work to fix but he really did such an amazing job and i’m so thankful. i thought i was dumed for life! I will upload pics it’s only been a few days. Updated on 27 Feb 2021: Just wanted to show an update. i had 2 double creases and dents in my legs dr svehlak improved them. i’ll need to go for another. i still have discoloration from the previous dr. the creases were really bad before Updated on 22 Oct 2021: 1)Botched in 2018 by dr lacerna over suctioned my legs i was 23 or 24 years old. 2)botched in 2019 by dr robert lowen trying to fix dr lacernas work with a non suction smart lipo he made it worse by creating more scar tissue dents and liposuction to my banana roll under the butt and my butt completely fell on my leg. 3) kind of botched again by dr bilinski in 2020. he liposuctioned my butt to put fat into my outer legs, ended up extremely bottom heavy. the butt did look more natural but i had skin sag and cellulite appear everywhere from fat being removed from the butt. it also made my creases worse. - went through 6 months of deep depression with suicidal thoughts cried everyday because of what plastic surgery did to me. I was in therapy and on depression medication. I was a model so i thought my life was ruined saw probably 20 drs that all told me different things, from a few drs saying i needed a body lift, to another dr saying i needed butt implants (seriously????) (dr stanton) to another dr saying i needed a lower butt tuck (dr stanton & dr kenneth hughes) another dr saying i needed just J plasma to tighten the lower but and more leg liposuction arm even mentioned removing my labia for a discount (dr arian mawlavi). To another dr telling me she could transfer fat but i had no fat so she would spot lipo and transfer to the dents but after i’d have to pay for sculptra because i just didn’t have fat ( dr khan new york! Another dr saying he would lipo my calves then transfer the fat to my crease (dr keneth hughes) dr dennis dass and steve laverson said i should do nothing. dr jarrah nejjad said he would lipo my lower butt and put fat in the middle. i mean i was just so confused and put through so much bullshit by all these top rated double board certified drs that all told me different shit, i didn’t know who to trust. One thing they all agreed on was that i was to skinny and had no fat to transfer. so i gained 35 pounds. i decided i would do one last consult and that was with dr svehlak in 2020, after i gained weight. he was able to get 1000 ccs from my back and transfer to all my dents and butt creases. it was an amazing teansformation but from research of liposuction to the banana roll gluteal crease i already knew i would need multiple touch ups. And i was willing to for my own sanity so i did another touchup 1 year later with dr svehlak. he was able to get 600 ccs from my arms and upper back and i’d say i look so much better. he even made me look more hourglass by adding 100 cc to each hip. i have zero noticeable scars from him. I’d say one crease is 100% fixed and the other about 80% after 2 procedures. i may in a year do a local spot treatment to the left side. banana roll creases are not suppose to be liposuctioned and it’s the hardest thing to fix in plastic surgery so i love dr svehlak for what he has done for me. recently i did something extreme after meeting a girlfriend who had he lower ribs removed and lost 4 inches from her waist and i went through this procedure with a different dr in another country board certified and now have even more of an hourglass figure. liposuction to my waist was great but i had a naturally very wide waist and waist training wasn’t permanant so i removed 4 floating ribs and fractured the 10th rib. there’s 6 drs that do this in the united states but the prices are insane 16000-25000 w dr eppley. i’m happy with my results. i don’t recomend to ppl to get rib removal but for myself i decided to because no amount of lipo could make my 29 inch waist smaller. i think now i’m a 26. Updated on 23 Jun 2024: My line of work causes me to show my legs! From the before pictures until now dr svehlak truly saved my body. This time I went back for a few small fillings and dimples with is inevitable. I went through so much but he was truly great! Updated on 14 Sep 2024: Unfortunately adding fat to the dimples made things worse. I wish I wouldn’t have done it, it think my cellulite looks terrible in certain positions and it’s permanent. Dimples can’t be fixed by adding fat. Stay natural. What do you think. Hopefully working out and dropping weight will diminish this a little I hope
I've tried posting this review several times without success (fix your tech issues RS) so let's see. I had revision lipo with Dr Svehlak about a year ago. I had fat taken from several areas on my body and added to several small areas on my lower body. My experience was very good. I feel lucky that I went to him. I flew from Australia 14h to have my revision because I'm small I don't have any fat left so if it had gone wrong I'd be screwed.Anyway, thanks dr Svehlak I'm so happy I came to see you. I have been able to return to normal life after my revision, focusing on goals again and enjoying my life, not obsessed about my body anymore. I'd like one more minimal tweak but let's see if I can be bothered. with this virus going on, can't travel anywhere anyway! if I do, I'm obviously going bk to Svehlak.so in short.. Veronica - is amazing and so helpful. Dr Svehlak is gentle, caring no bulls1t Dr, he wants to genuinely help. It's worth flying across the world to see him. you only get so many changes with these lipo irregularities and fixing them, don't take the risk. I could have saved my money and returned to my first dr, but I chose not to. Because he was a non caring [RS bleep] and I didn't trust him. I'm so happy I trusted my gut instinct and spent the money and flew to dr Svehlak. Sorry no pics here I'm a private gal but good luck everyone! just wanted to post this short review in case it will help someone ..
DR Svehlak is a miracle worker. Personally I wouldn't let anyone else touch you for Lipo revision.He has a keen eye and can see minor details and repairs people's lives for a very reasonable price. Other doctors weren't experienced enough to even try do my revision because I have PMMA filler in my body but Dr. handled it skillfully.He took fat from my arms (Lipo arms) and did some very precise Lipo on my tummy just around the dents, took down my pubis mon area (which was left looking too large after the botched Lipo) then filled in as many dents as we could this time around, with the fat taken from my arms to try to “smooth” me out.THE PROCEEDURE: With Dr Svehlak I had almost no pain!!! Even during recovery!!!! I was off pain pills by day 3. The entire proceedure felt loving and caring. It was actually a GOOD experience! There was some minor pain during surgery only a few times that was 100% bearable, and they stopped to add more painkiller immediately. It was so bearable I fell asleep a few times. Mona the nurse IS AN ANGEL. She watched my face to make sure I felt no pain and comforted me when I started crying in gratitude, she cupped my face in her hands and said "sweetie I am SO SORRY this happened to you and for so long! I don't know what I would have done if it had happened to me." It meant the world to me!!ABOUT THE DOCTOR: DR. Svehlak is a very respectful, handsome, not at all creepy, kind, skilled, non judgemental doctor who treated me gently as if he was happy and excited to help me. I feel very comfortable with him. He not only saw what I was talking about, he did exactly what I was hoping for to try to fix it.ABOUT THE OFFICE: The Office is staffed by beautiful kind polite and professional women. NOT ONCE did I feel pressured, nor listened to or "pressure sold" on anything like creepy offices. They listened to what I wanted, and supported me into getting exactly that: what I wanted and only what I wanted. Veronica was AMAZING. She fielded all my pesky worried emails about the lighting during marking up and reassured me on everything. She let me have the painkiller I know is best for me, no questions asked.THE RESULTS: the results are AMAZINGGGGG. I'm sooooo much smoother now! I do not expect the results to be "PERFECT" because I had a really bad botch job. That said, I’m in some shock because one side is already looking perfect, and I’ll be back in to see him again when I’m healed up for some “tweaking” and fine tuning. Which I think will result in what I feel is finally, a perfect stomach (or as close as I can get!!! So I am so excited!) I’m going to keep coming back here! but I'm so used to being "a monster" that any kind of improvement at all (that other doctors couldn't achieve) is a miracle!! I thought I was doomed and the botch was forever.NOPE!!!!!!! This is the first time in 17, 18 years since I was botched that I feel happy, normal, and have hope to continue to progress too. Im excited that I might now be able to go to the beach, go on dates without dread and fear, and not WORRY ABOUT THE LIGHT so much. I'm definitely going to see the doctor for some other things as well this year.THANK YOU OFFICE AND STAFF!! I'll be back!!! :-) :-)
Hello everyone! I am posting a review of my doctor, Dr. Svehlak in hopes of helping others who are currently where I was; botched by liposuction and searching for a revision. I wanted to include pictures from his website, but I do hope to include more selfies I took while I excitedly documented my swelling progress, so you know I am a real person writing a real review. I joined RealSelf in 2015 or so because that was around the time I had started to hatch a small, tiny hope that maybe I could improve my condition. I was botched back in 2007. What these before pictures don’t show is the nerve damage, the permanent itching in places where the skin and had attached to muscles. There was permanent damage to my skin and nerves under my skin. The backs of my arms looked like that of a burn victims and I didn’t wear short -sleeves for 10 years. After my initial liposuction my weird uneven body was noticeable under most clothing, so I switched to a wearing loose tops that hid the weird lumpy shape of my torso and arms no matter the temperature. During the 10 years I was botched I tried to just accept my body as it was, and I sorta did, but only by never looking at it and sorta just pretending that it wasn’t there. I created a sort of wall of denial about what happened and what I looked like. I also had a hard time trusting my body to more liposuction. I thought with all the gouges of scar tissue that ran down to the muscle fascia combines with hard ropey tunnels of fibrous scar tissue, this was way beyond simple liposuction. I thought more liposuction might even make it worse and cause more scar tissue and more lumps or even tissue death. I can’t remember how I first heard about Svehlak but I think it was in the comment section of RealSelf(?). Like someone saying they had revision Lipo with him and they were happy with it. I met with him and a couple of other doctors, too. The thing that was different about him in that first consultation that made me pick him? I could see him thinking and planning what he was going to do, as soon as the exam began. I really sensed he was a problem solver and a creative thinker, and my case required these things plus a certain amount of care and delicacy. This wasn’t an easy blank canvas. He told me what he would do, what he could do and what to expect. My arms needed to have all the scar tissue broken up, detached from the muscle and then layered back in with my own fat. This was the worst part of my revision, recovery wise. The numbness lasted for over a year, but the fat lived (yay!)and my arms looked so close to normal I was blown away. I never thought I’d have non-deformed arms! I wear short sleeves now. My torso as you can see in pictures, was a lumpy uneven mess. He removed fat in under-suctioned places to create a more, even proportionate body shape. He wanted to graft fat into some of the gouge marks but I declined because for some reason that idea made me uncomfortable. I guess it was really hard trusting a doctor completely.( Maybe some day I will do that. You can still see a couple of trenches in my stomach in the after pics )He was conservative to avoid any more over suctioning, dings or dents..but we planned to do small touch ups when the swelling resolved. I did one touch up under local about 6 months after these picture and I have a picture of the touch up I will share. I’d like to get one more touch up still. We are very careful. I have taken a break from my recovery process because I am very happy with my body. I feel like a normal person. This has changed my life and lifted an enormous burden off of my shoulders. One I carried for so long I didn’t realize how heavy it was until after it was gone. Dr Svehlak is a real doctor, one who really wants to help and one who wants to heal people. I never felt like he thought my case was hopeless, but rather a problem to be fixed that he was happy to help with. I describe Dr. Svhelak as easy to talk to, he listens carefully and is thoughtful, measured and intelligent. I like Veronica the patient coordinator. She really helped ease whatever concerns I had not just by speaking with me, but I could see a sincere enthusiasm on her part for her boss. I could see she believed in him without her saying that in words. And I really needed that reassurance. I was SO CLOSE to not doing this revision at all because, as anyone who is botched knows..there is so much hopelessness. Which brings me full circle as to why I am writing this review. I hope this helps someone. If you are botched, there is hope. I had a good experience with this doctor. I liked how he treated me, the recovery check ups and my ultimate aesthetic results. Updated on 1 Aug 2019: Photos I took yesterday with my trainer. How 8 look 2 years post revision. You can see my arms but not the best arm selfie. I’d like to add an update with a close up. I need to get the before pics from doctor since I never took photos of my arms when they were damaged looking! Updated on 1 Aug 2019: Photos I took yesterday with my trainer. How I look 2 years post revision. You can see my arms in the back and side photos but not the best arm selfie. I’d like to add an update with a close up. I need to get the before pics from doctor since I never took photos of my arms when they were damaged looking! Updated on 1 Aug 2019: Photos I took yesterday with my trainer. How I look 2 years post revision. You can see my arms but not the best arm selfie. I’d like to add an update with a close up. I need to get the before pics from doctor since I never took photos of my arms when they were damaged looking! Updated on 1 Aug 2019: Photos I took yesterday with my trainer. How I look 2 years post revision. You can see my arms but not the best arm selfie. I’d like to add an update with a close up. I need to get the before pics from doctor since I never took photos of my arms when they were damaged looking!. (* it is hard to upload my photos RealSelf) Updated on 1 Aug 2019: Just trying to add more pics.it only let me add one front photo and I can’t seem to add to an existing post or edit it. Anyway not the best arm selfies. I will wok on getting you guys something more detailed arm wise as well as my arms before revision which I need to get from drs office. Better before and after of arms Coming Soon!
"Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful". Beauty is confidence applied directly to your face. That's exactly what Dr. Svehlak does at Sunset Cosmetic Surgery. Years ago I needed plastic surgery and I went looking for a surgeon. Well, technically I probably didn't need it but I wanted it. I spent a year straight going to meet different surgeons, going to consultations and researching different doctors. I finally picked Dr. Svehlak. Not only did I love his pictures on the website but he had a great bedside manner. Both of those factors were important to me. I felt he was professional, experienced, knowledgeable and caring. He listened to my needs and we discussed my expectations of surgery. What I had done: Years ago I had gained a lot of weight and after many years of yo-yo dieting I finally stabilized my weight. Unfortunately this lead to a lot of loose skin. This is the result of gaining and losing weight for years. It was going to be a lot of work to get my body looking normal again. Needless to say Dr. Svehlak had his work cut out for him. I had done the hard work of losing weight but no matter how hard I worked out I couldn't remove the excess skin. If you're in my position, I can tell you that only surgery can fix this problem. Dr. Svehlak changed my life! If you go in for a consultation ask him to show you my pictures. I've been transformed into a new person. They're pretty personal since they're naked photos but if you need some reassurance of the kind of surgeon you're going to hire it's good to see his work. He did an AMAZING JOB! Dr. Yamini helped out on my first surgery since it was going to be so long and I was going to be down for several hours. I had a thigh lift, brachioplasty, breast lift, and tummy tuck. LIFE CHANGING!!!! My surgery was about 10 years ago and recently I came in to get another surgery. Because of the weight fluctuations in the past, I still had loose skin on my neck as well. I decided to do a lower facelift and tighten of the neck muscle. I'm so glad did it! It looks so amazing and it makes all the difference! Everyone keeps telling me what a Difference! Don’t waste your money on those skin and laser treatments to tighten your neck like I did, surgery is the way to go!! I promise you! If you do decide to get surgery make sure to see Tori afterwards. He does body contouring treatments to help with all the swelling. He helped me recover fast and took great care of me. All of the staff and of course my doctors are amazing! I can't recommend this place enough! Don't suffer being miserable about something that can be fixed. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and we are the ones that stand in the mirror every day. Don't be afraid it was the best decision I ever made!
On 11/02/2018 I had revision liposuction with Dr. Steven Svhlak. I just recently received my treatment so I cannot show the final outcome yet. I will say I definitely see a drastic improvement already and I was never sold on unrealistic expectations. I'm excited to see the final outcome after the swelling comes down. Updated on 17 Nov 2018: I wanted to post a picture in the harshest lighting to give an accurate representation of what my stomach looks like. If you had botched liposuction procedure than you know that lighting/shadows play a huge role on how bad or good the area can look. I hope to bare my belly in the sun on a beach some day so I wanted to show you what it looks like with the sun shinning on my stomach. My review is going to be transparent and real as my journey and healing process progresses. I know how hopeless having botched liposuction can seem but I'm hoping revision surgery is not. I'm trying to keep my views realistic but it's very hard when your hoping one revision surgery will be enough and you can spend your hard earned money on something other than revision surgery. I have not put any pressure on my stomach and sleep on my back with my legs propped up on a pillow. I don't want to put pressure on the newly fat grafted areas. I don't want to judge the areas to soon so I'll just keep waiting until the swelling goes down. I've been walking around the neighborhood to reduce the swelling and increase circulation but no hardcore workouts. Let me know if you have any questions. Updated on 27 Nov 2018: Not perfect but way better than before! I am still slightly sore and swollen. I can already tell already at this point I would like a possible 2nd revision to smooth everything out some more...possibly a year from now. My doctor was very realistic about my outcome and said he could make it better but not perfect. This is my new reality. Updated on 10 Mar 2019: So I’m not perfect, but do I regret my surgery? No. Will I need more surgeries, yes. I would definitely get another fat grafting round on my arms and I plan on doing a Tummy tuck in the future. (Not with Svehlak) I feel back to my old self but better! I have no tightness from stretching like I did before my surgery with Dr. Svehlak and I believe that’s because he broke up the scar tissue. I do notice if I wear something tight i can see the indentation of it on my stomach. The swelling is there but not noticeable until I do wear something that presses against my skin. I came into this with realistic expectations since Dr. Svehlak didn’t sell me a dream & he was honest about me looking better not perfect. Ask me your questions below or PM me. Updated on 20 Jun 2019: I am now 7 months postop. My results/fat graft seem to be lasting and I look better now then I did a few months ago. I no longer have a tight Restricted feeling like I did before my surgery; I believe he broke up a lot of the scar tissue. I can stretch fully without feeling restricted. I do not want to mislead you and say that I am 100% happy and ready to be in a bikini. I do however look better and feel my surgeon did a good job considering the circumstances. I do feel my photos may be a bit misleading since I do you use the iPhone X to take pictures and it adds a natural smoothing effect to the photo (it’s built into the phone) I also want to point out that my stomach looks different in different lighting, it looks much more irregular in the sunlight or looking at me from the side. I still plan on doing a Tummy tuck and I feel my results after a tummy tuck will look even better since I did a fat grafting to the botched areas first.
Dr. Svehlak is incredible. He’s done a few surgeries on me, and I’m really happy with him. His work is consistently excellent, no matter what I’m getting done, and his bedside manner makes me feel completely at ease. He has a great eye for aesthetics and won’t ever make you look overdone. Highly recommend him and his staff is lovely as well.
I came to Dr. Svehlak after seeing, and paying for, liposuction revision consultations with board certified and highly regarded surgeons in multiple states. I needed a liposuction revision and fat grafting to repair a badly botched procedure done by a board certified surgeon in Portland, Oregon. Originally, I was one of those “ideal candidates” as the Oregon surgeon stated—fit, active, healthy, and at my ideal weight. The procedure was minor, just a tiny bit of fat off my outer thigh in one small spot. But the surgeon messed up and left me with a large crater in one thigh and a series of long liposuction marks where there had been smooth skin. The incision scars, which should have been the width of a pinky fingernail at the longest, were 1.5 inches long in a few places and quite visible. Every other surgeon who looked at the work was convinced the work had been done by a non-board certified surgeon. When I told them who it was, a board-certified Harvard medical school graduate, they were stunned. The original surgeon agreed to correct it as even he could plainly see, and was forced to admit, it was not a good outcome. I sought second opinions from other surgeons who stated they couldn’t imagine how this particular correction could go wrong and didn’t see great risk, and they also felt he should correct his own work. I nervously agreed. The Oregon surgeon’s corrective procedure was where it really went wrong. He left me with huge horizontal depressions in my buttocks (which had been fine before) and my buttocks dropped and there were large creases at the bottom of my buttocks as well. He went outside the scope of what we had discussed, took fat from places he shouldn’t have, threw it away when it wasn’t needed as he took far too much. He took all of my fat out of one area, leaving me with skin against bone. It was shocking. I lived with this for several years. It was a shameful secret. I felt ashamed that I had even had it done in the first place, ashamed and stupid that I chose such a horrible surgeon—and I let him work on me TWICE! I didn’t feel confident, attractive . . . basically, I felt damaged. I felt that I had betrayed myself and my body, not just once, but twice. The regret was heavy, and I couldn’t seem to escape it. My primary care physician, a woman, supported me and felt I should attempt to have it repaired. Living with the damage was hard as I had to be reminded of what this surgeon had done to me every single day. I needed to try to have it repaired and to be able to feel a sense of restoration. I was terrified to trust anyone, and I was disheartened because other surgeons didn’t have the skill, or they recommended radical procedures. One thought the only way to lift my buttocks back up would be with implants. That was definitely not an option, as it was too risky in my opinion, and I’d always had a perky bum until the Oregon surgeon damaged it. The last thing I would ever have needed were implants. And you can’t trust what you think—one of the surgeons on a current cosmetic surgery revision television show significantly botched a procedure on an actress. Just because a person gives advice on television, or has good reviews, or is voted top doctor isn’t enough to earn your trust. This review isn’t enough on its own, either. But hopefully it will be enough to motivate you do extensive homework, meet with at least three surgeons, and to make Dr. Svehlak one of those surgeons. I had read about Dr. Svehlak and what he had achieved and I knew that I needed to save the money and make the time to go meet with him. When the day finally arrived, two years after I had decided I would save up to go to him, I arrived at Dr. Svehlak’s office in Los Angeles. Right away, I knew my search was over. If any of you reading this are thinking of liposuction and/or fat grafting to any part of your body, or a liposuction revision, it is worth flying across the world to see him because you only have one body. Dr. Svehlak does what other top rated surgeons cannot do. He stands virtually alone in the skill it takes to perform highly complicated revisions, and can certainly do stunningly beautiful liposuction and fat grafting if you are fortunate enough to choose him for your initial procedure. He won’t make a mistake. Bodies handle procedures differently, but Dr. Svehlak is highly experienced in how bodies respond to liposuction and fat grafting and he knows how to get the best outcome and will advise you of what he can realistically achieve. He had to take fat from places other surgeons weren’t skilled enough to take it from—and you can’t tell he ever touched me. The scars are tiny and are disappearing, and there is no flaw in his liposuction, even from inner thighs and arms. I’m not a big girl and the original surgeon took a lot of my fat unnecessarily—throwing it away (I was awake for the procedure.) There wasn’t a lot of fat left on my body, but Dr. Svehlak carefully and precisely took the fat he needed, and 7 months later what should have remained, has remained. I waited to write this review so that I could speak to the outcome after several months and to what his work has done for my self esteem. I feel comfortable in my own skin again. I don’t look in a mirror over and over and obsess about what was damaged and how to wear something to hide it. Dr. Svehlak also added some fat to my breasts and relocated one areola to solve a breast issue that was getting worse as I aged. Other surgeons offered far more drastic and more expensive options. But Dr. Svehlak’s approach shows his immense skill and his focus on the patient. My breasts look wonderful and the scar is invisible. The fact that he could find enough fat to do this as well and do it brilliantly speaks to his capabilities. He seeks the simplest, least invasive solution to an issue that will also produce the best result. One of the most striking things about his personality is his quiet confidence and humility—he is focused on you and achieving the optimal outcome, and he knows his strengths and has the confidence of an extremely talented, highly disciplined surgeon. He lacks the fatal flaw of too many other surgeons—the Oregon surgeon, for one. This fatal flaw is that they seem to think that if they’ve been good enough to obtain the Harvard degree and to pass their board certification, this gives them the right to know what is best for you, what they think you need. Dr. Svehlak is rare in that he works on being the best at what he does simply because that is what he owes to his patients, and to himself as a professional. He is not trying to impress anyone or toot his own horn. Achieving the best outcome for you, one that will help improve your confidence and restore your peace of mind is of the highest importance to him. You realize quickly that you are in the safest and most skilled hands you could possibly be in. His staff are also kind and supportive. I was alone in L.A. and they went out of their way to ensure I was comfortable and cared for. They arranged for a nurse to go to my accommodations and stay with me for the first few hours to help me keep costs down and even provided extra bedding so my drains wouldn’t leak on the bedding in my accommodation. He partners with the best surgical facility and anesthesiologists—all were highly skilled, meticulous in their procedures, and warm and professional as well. From the initial consultation, which I flew in for, to every interaction since, Dr. Svehlak listened carefully, asked important questions, got extremely clear on what the issues were—what I felt and what he could feel and observe in my body—and mapped out a highly detailed plan. You know exactly what is going to happen and what to expect. He is very clear about what he can do and what is realistic to achieve . . . and he achieves it! My revision procedure took between 4-5 hours and it was extremely detailed with many parts of my body involved in order to complete the repairs. Nothing went wrong—nothing! And in the hands of a lesser surgeon, so much could have, and, I am absolutely sure, would have. Again, if this review achieves anything, I hope it is to inspire you to do your research, and include a consultation with Dr. Svehlak if you are considering any procedure, but especially one that involves revision, or initial liposuction or fat grafting. You have one body—treat it with care!
For me to best answer this question, I would need to know when your original surgery was performed. If it was recent, then I would recommend waiting at least 3 months before attempting any revision surgery. If it has been longer, then a revision procedure may be done. I would recommend you get evaluated by a board certified plastic surgeon who is very experienced with liposuction revision surgery to assess your tissues and assure that swelling has resolved and the areas feel soft. It appears that you would only need a small amount of targeted mini-liposuction on the lower abdominal wall to correct the contours. This can probably done as a local anesthesia procedure. Good Luck and thanks for the question.
I would wait at least 6 months after your previous surgery before repeating. Swelling and scar tissue can take several months to dissipate and resolve. However, the longer you wait the softer your tissues will become and the easier it is to perform a repeat surgery. A breast surgery could also be done at the same time as the second surgery. Thanks for the question and good luck.
It is unfortunate for you to have to go through this. As other posts have mentioned, there has beend significant damage done. At this point, I would suggest letting this heal for 3-6 months more before doing anything further. You can try lymphatic treatments, such as Endermologie, to help speed recovering from swelling. I would not do any treatments that use heat, such a RF, lasers, ultrasound, etc. These will only produce more damage. I concur with others such a Dr Hagstrom and Dr Minniti.
I commonly see patients like you in my practice. My philosophy is to to do the minimal amount of intervention to improve/correct the contour problems. My approach would be to carefully remove fat from the elevated spots with targeted mini liposuction, collect and save this fat (and possibly harvest from other areas if available), and then carefully re-inject the fat into the low spot/dents. This can, frequently, be done under a local anesthesia. The goal is to create a more evenly distributed subcutaneous fat layer. This will translate to smoother skin and contours. Good luck.
3 months would be the earliest I would perform revision liposuction on the same area. It is best to wait even longer. This allows for swelling to dissipate and tissues to soften. When inflammation resolves and tissue are soft, revision surgery can be done easier with more control of the results. Good luck.
