My experience with Dr. Van Ye and his staff has been absolutely incredible. Every time I think about it I want to cry tears of joy. I had abdominoplasty with diastasis recti repair and breast reduction. Every step of the way I felt cared for in the most sincere way possible. Dr. Van Ye is one of a kind and his results are out of this world!!
I have scheduled my tummy tuck for early March! I am a 31 year old mom of 3 young children. After my pregnancies, I was left with a significant ab separation, an umbilical hernia and a lot of loose skin (9+lb and 8lb babies!). I work out 5-7 days per week and eat a mostly "clean" diet of lean protein, whole grains and lots of fruits and veggies. I am in overall very good shape and health but the more weight I lose, the worse my belly looks with sagging skin and a 6 month pregnant pooch after meals! I am so anxious for surgery - nervous and excited! Here are a few before photos! My tummy tuck will include muscle repair and a bit of lipo on my lower stomach. My surgeon and I have discussed that I will have a vertical incision due to how much laxity I have in my skin. Updated on 12 Feb 2019: Picked out my bikini to bring along for surgery! Less than 3 weeks to go... i'm very active and have small children so i'm dreading the downtime but hoping it's all worth it! Now for starting to gather all my postop gear in preparation! Updated on 4 Mar 2019: I had my surgery this morning... so glad it's behind me! I can't say enough good things about how amazing the staff and Dr. Van Ye are! It sounds like things went great which I was so happy to hear. So far my husband, gauze, my walker, and a wedge pillow from Amazon behind my back have been my top items. I'm in my bed currently with the wedge and lots of pillows and it's working great! More to come! Updated on 5 Mar 2019: I'm over 24 hours out from the surgery! Made it through the first night...I really love the Amazon wedge with pillows! I think still being in my own bed next to my husband has helped a ton! I definitely had more pain today but nothing unbearable. I added my muscle relaxer today and that seemed to help a lot! First sneeze was miserable..I tried to stop it but couldn't! I'm staying really hydrated and getting back to more normal food today which is making me feel better! I got a glimpse of my new tummy this morning and I couldn't be happier! My vertical scar is pretty small and my horizontal is SO low! So far so happy I did it! Updated on 7 Mar 2019: I made it to 3 days post op and so happy to be feeling a little more energy! Overall, the pain has been very manageable. I had some muscle spasms the day after surgery and started my muscle relaxer per my doctors suggestion and that made a world of difference. I take that in the evening and in the middle of the night along with Tylenol and I am sleeping decently and waking up without too much pain. My abs are still very sore and I am hunched but my walker has made a world of difference. Today, with the help of my amazing husband, I had my first shower and I feel so refreshed! I even managed to dry my hair! Funny how much you miss those little things. I have been getting back to a regular diet and trying to eat a lot of protein and cut out salt to minimize swelling. I hopped on the scale and I am still about 4lbs over my pre-op weight and hope that the swelling starts to taper in the next few weeks. I have had so much swelling in my hips and I am hoping that starts to go down soon - not pleasant! That's all for now - excited to see the changes the next few weeks bring! Updated on 7 Mar 2019: Here's one more pic from 1 day postop where my horizontal incision is visible. 8 was told that about 140g of skin was removed and my ab separation was about 3inches based on what my doctor showed me! That was even larger than what I had measured on myself when I would check my gap! Updated on 9 Mar 2019: Made it to day 5... and the swelling is real! I hadn't mentioned this yet but I've had the most intense swelling in my hips! It appears to be starting to go down (thank goodness!!) But I still have lots of bruising on one hip. It does look like it's starting to fade. Anyone else with hip swelling? I know it's very normal but I haven't seen many posts about it! This morning I decided to start cutting back on my pain meds (I'm on a non-narcotic pain regimen) so I only took 2 of the 3 pain pills but kept the full antinflamatory med dosage. I'm hoping to do tylenol arthritis and my muscle relaxer the rest of the day and maybe a pain pill before bed. My plan is to be off the pain meds fully by the end of the weekend. I have been feeling very down about not seeing my kiddos the last couple days and just the general frustration of not being able to do things myself but I know it will get better. I was able to sit downstairs and have breakfast with my family this morning and that really lifted my mood! Slowly starting to feel a bit more upright although i'm still quite hunched. My surgeon's nurse said I can start to work my way upward as long as I don't feel pulling. My drains both had less than 25 in 24 hours yesterday and hardly any drainage since last night so hopefully I can get one out on Monday! Other than that just trying to rest and not overdo it since i'm feeling so good I think I want to jump right on but forcing myself to rest! Keeping my protein high, fruits and veggies up and trying to keep my sugar and salt intake low.... plus chugging the water to flush my system! That's all for now... happy Saturday and happy healing! Updated on 22 Apr 2019: Hello ladies! It's been a while and I've been feeling a little discouraged hence the lack of updates. Overall, things are going well with recovery and I started light workouts at 6 weeks postop. Things have been feeling good, still quiet sore but feeling so much more normal. I'm already loving how much smaller my stomach is despite the swelling (4 inches smaller at the navel vs last July, woo!!!!). I've been frustrated with the loose skin I still have below my belly button but I had my 6 week postop and my wonderful surgeon said we can address it in the fall if it doesn't tighten up by then so i'm feeling much more optimistic. In the meantime, i'm amazed by the improvements each week... things keep getting smoother and nicer! I'm on my second round of embrace scar therapy and it really seems to be helping! I'll keep you all updated on how that goes! Here are some updates pics from 6ish weeks...all are taken in the evening when I'm at my max swelling.... the swelling is no joke!!! Best wishes too all you ladies in your recovery!!!!! Updated on 21 Jun 2019: Just popping on to post a quick update! I'm about 15 weeks out and feeling great... back to working out almost like presurgery with modifications as needed! In finally feeling like i'm getting endurance back. Swelling is still surprisingly very much lingering but has gone down considerably over the last few weeks! Still have a little loose skin and stretch marks but am feeling like the surgery was worth it. Happy recovery to all of you!!! Updated on 28 Jun 2019: I mentioned the "pleating" my previous update but realized that I didn't post any close ups to show the improvement. Not perfect but happy to see it improving as I heal! I'll discuss again with my surgeon at 6 months but i'm feeling more hopeful! Updated on 13 Aug 2019: 5 months post op and almost 100% back to normal for workouts and my abs are finally peeking through! Working out 5 to 7 days per week, lifting 4x and running, Biking, hiking and walking 3 to 4x per week. Eating mostly clean but still enjoying the occasional treat and cocktail! My results aren't perfect but i'm sure happy to have my abs back in place. I see my doctor next month for my 6 month checkup so I'll see what he recommends for my loose skin. Happy recovery ladies! Updated on 12 Apr 2020: One year post op and overall pretty happy with the results! Still bummed about the lose skin but so happy to be able to do ab work and see ab definition for the first time in years! I'm working our 4 to 6 times per week and since the new year have been doing some ab work 2 to 3 times per week!
I had my first consultation when I was 16. I was a DD then. The Doctor didn't advise it due to my age and still growing. 21 years later, a 38 I, I found out insurance might pay for this, and they did! My surgery was on Tuesday 10/9. After being in recovery for a bit, I had blood clotting from my left breast. I ended up having to go right back into surgery again due to bleeding in that breast. My surgeon had to cauterize an artery. What was supposed to get outpatient turned into overnight. Yesterday I went in the clinic to be checked out. Bandages were removed but not my drains I was given a soft cup front closure bra with some gauze inside. Today I am hoping to have tubes removed. Here are my pics so far
When I was 16 my Mom took me in for a consult, but since I was still growing, the surgeon didn’t recommend it. 21 years later, He found a family friend got a reduction, and she was so happy. She convinced me after saying insurance paid. So I did it. Oh yesterday was my surgery. I will be adding more pictures along the way. Also, for reference, I am 5’4”, 214lbs and 37. I have 2 kids, both breastfed. No more though since tubes were tied.
I have only good things to say about Dr Van Ye. He always make me feel comfortable. His staff also.... amazing Didnt know what to expect going in, but now I feel great about my decisions. He did an excellent job. They went above and beyond when I had to come back due to my own not listening to what I was to do. I would not hesitate one second to recommend him.
I never liked havings large breasts, but also never considered the reduction seriously. A few years ago my shoulders and my back started to bother me. Working out for example became bothersome. After I met with Dr. Todd Van Ye , I made my decision. He didn't try to influence my decision, just gave me all the nessesery information in a very professional, simple and concise manner. I liked his bedside manner and professionalism. The staff was exallent from the begining to the end, friendly, professional, thorough. I am recovering from the surgery now, and it's going very well. I am pleased with the result. From the begining it was a positive experience.
I didn't do what most do, write on here from the day I think I need to make a decision. I have had some complications and for personal convictions reasons still not sure I made the right decision however, this review isn't about what decision should be made, but about my doctor. I know this is a hard decision to make so if you are researching Dr. Van Ye in Neenah - do it. You are safe in his hands. He is very skilled and not only that but he is a good person. Just by coincidence - and having to see him more often than I want to due to complications, lol - I have discovered he's just plain good people. Maybe you don't all believe like me, but I believe integrity and heart is everything. I don't care what you do or how good you are, if you don't have integrity you won't be that good. When I met with Dr. Van Ye, I was ready to jump on the table and say "go to work." I had met with only one other plastic surgeon. My intention was three consults with three different surgeons. He made me so comfortable I didn't even go for a third. The first surgeon consult left me confused and rushed. Not Dr. Van Ye. He will explain absolutely everything to you. And he knows his stuff. Let me provide an example. I met with another Dr, who laid me down on a table and told me to keep my legs straight and raise then straight up. He felt my stomach (lower ab) and said I had good muscle tone and would not need muscle repair. Well, folks, the muscle repair is not done on the lower abdomen. Yikes! Wow! What would have happened had I chosen this man? I did need muscle repair! Dr. Van Ye's surgical nurses, Jen and Carrie (spelling?) are A-MAZ-ing. Ron is the anesthesia guy. A-MAZ-ing. If you are considering this staff, you can feel safe. These nurses are so personable and caring, patient, knowledgeable. They make you feel like you have been friends for years. The person that cared for me on the day of surgery remarked that he was surprised Ron took so much time to talk to him about the surgery. Anesthetists don't usually do that. I cannot wait to be done going there every two days to change the sponge for my wound vac but I'll be honest, I will miss these nurses. The issues I experienced: 1) open wound on the stomach in the old bb area. Not anything the doctor did or did not do, just [RS bleep] that happens. If you have this, get the wound vac, no matter how cumbersome and pain in the ass it is. Trust me, I am no patient woman. I hate every minute of it, but will be glad I did it 2) This surgery is really no joke. While I have had a pretty decent recovery it has opened my eyes to how serious surgery really is. Be in your best health possible if you do this. If you are wanting a quick fix and not committed to a healthy lifestyle, reconsider. 3) Antibiotics. My personal rule, don't take drugs, even ibuprofen. I took an antibiotic "just in case" i got an infection. I knew better. I had clyndamicin (spelling). Research first. Especially if you are a health nut. 4) Don't break your own health rules. Listen to your gut. 5) IF you are in amazing health and think you will jump off the operating table (like I did) and return to life, you won't. Take the time you need. 6) Have round the clock care for at least 48 hours. 7) BMs are not all that bad if you are healthy to begin with. In fact, my first one was nothing. Don't fret. 8) Be very careful if you sleep in a recliner at first. I had some serious neck/headache issues. Prop yourself up well. I am six weeks post op and I still have swelling, depending on the activity level. I have a very stressful job where I walk a lot so I am still not sure what my results will be. I did lose 6 pounds since surgery.
I've been considering implants for several years and have been saving up! I use to be a 34C but lost volume and upper fullness just with age. I actually didn't think this would happen since I wasn't having kids! It's been about 5yrs since they've deflated and I've never gotten comfortable with the change and really miss having my fuller chest. I went to Dr Todd Van Ye in Appleton, WI and I'm thrilled with my results so far! Updated on 29 May 2016: Feeling great and the girls are feeling more natural every day. I think they have a bit to go but it's nice that they don't hurt all the time. so happy with my results! Updated on 29 May 2016: Updated on 29 May 2016: Updated on 30 Jun 2016: Updated on 18 Aug 2016: my how things have changed and I think it's about time for me to update what's been happening. Long story short, I've had pain since day 1 in my right breast that never went away. As things have dropped and settled, the pain has increasingly gotten worse. The last 2 months have been pretty miserable. I'm a hairstylist and have had to cut back some hrs due to the pain and being uncomfortable having such a physical job. I haven't done much of anything with my friends because I never feel good. The pain basically feels like my breast in constricted and being pulled from the breast bone over to my arm pit. When I take a deep breath or use my pec muscles the pain worsens. My surgeon has been working with me and compassionate thru out this whole ordeal. We waited it out to see if things would change with time and they haven't so I went in last Friday for a revision. The good news is that so far the surgery appears to have been a success! There were some muscle fibers that were released and I feel so much better. Things are tender and swollen right now from surgery, but it's obvious the pain and tightness is gone. I never would have thought I would have had these kind of complications and it's been a difficult 3 months. I'm happy tho that my surgeon has always been compassionate and on my side thru this whole process. I will post some current pics but things are a bit swollen since the recent revision. Updated on 14 Dec 2016: unfortunately, I've had problems since day one. I had a revision on my right breast just after 3 months and everything has been great with that side since. I'm very happy with the shape and look of it and it has been pain free since the revision. Just before that, I started experiencing pain in the lower left corner of left breast. What has since happened is my implant has dropped a bit lower to that corner. The pocket goes further back on that side as well. Unfortunately, this is causing lots of discomfort. I'm on nerve pain meds which help a lot but not entirely. It feels like I'm carrying the weight of my entire implant in the lower left corner. I have a slight bulge where this has occurred. More obvious when I raise my arm and also a dent has developed on the side of this breast. I don't know why I've had so much pain and discomfort with this whole process but I don't think this has anything to do with my surgeon. I think I have over active nerves and an overly sensitive body:( I'm disappointed at this point because my surgeon doesn't acknowledge any of this. He feels my breasts are perfectly symmetrical and see's no issues. He is kind and respectful, but I feel at this point he is just frustrated with me because I've had issues this whole process. I'm frustrated because I clearly see issues and they are causing me discomfort. I fear my breast is going to keep dropping causing more asymmetry and pain. I absolutely don't regret getting implants. I researched this for over 2yrs before making the decision but feel maybe I should have talked to several doctors and weighed my options. I really did this for fullness on the top and slowly within 7 months my left breast is losing it's upper pole while the right one looks beautiful. I just hope the discomfort goes away and my breast stops dropping...or it drops so much that my dr realizes I need a revision.
5'2 110lbs with 32 D. Breast reduction with lift. Dr. Van Ye is very talented in all he does. At the same time I had an arm lift and liposuction on my flanks. I was extremely happy with all the work I had done. Dr Van Ye did tell me I would have scarring on my arms. I explained I had looked at hundreds of pictures and was willing to deal with the scars so I could wear shirts that the arms fit without looking bulging and tight. (Some of my shirts I couldn't get my arms in). Everyone at the center is very professional and make you feel at home. I spent many long nights researching the procedures and reading blogs. Dr Van Ye and his staff seemed like they gave more information than other people were go above and beyond for their patients. Updated on 2 Feb 2016: photos of 10 months post op Updated on 2 Feb 2016: When you see the pictures you will notice that I am bald. About a year ago my hair started falling out and within 4 weeks I was completely bald. Within a couple more months the rest of my hair on my entire body was gone. Soooooooooo I decided it was time I spent a little TLC on myself. Had such great success with Breasts and arms that I decided to treat myself to a scar revision ( from a 24 year ago intestinal surgery) and a Macs face lift. All I can say is wow. Within 24 hours of this surgery I was feeling great and almost standing up straight. Within 7 days, I went back to work half days and by 10 days I was behind the desk and working 8- 10 hours. Dr. say's I'm a fast healer. I do have a high tolerance for pain and other than my autoimmune disease's I am in good heath, eat right and pretty active. ( not a gym person, just am not a couch person).
The day I found out I had Breast Cancer was probably one of the worst days of my life. I really didn't know what to expect and just went to my appointments that were made for me thinking I had to use the Doctors that were provided. I then connected with a friends neighbor who helped my with questions as she was a Breast Cancer survivor. I didn't realize that I could go to any Plastic Surgeon and didn't have to be the one that I was given. I went to visit Dr. Van Ye and immediately switched. He was VERY professional along with treating his patients like they were the only ones in his office that day. He has awesome bedside manors and I would HIGHLY recommend Dr. Van Ye to anyone.
Capsules occur around all breast implants. Anytime we place something into the body, our bodies will form scar tissue or a “capsule.” As all scar tissue has a tendency to contract, the key with a soft breast implant is to prevent the scar tissue capsule from contracting around the breast implant. When the capsule contracts, a soft implant will become firm and distorted in its appearance. Prevention entails minimizing the amount of inflammation around a breast implant, especially during the early healing process. Inflammation is caused by excessive bleeding, aggressive dissection and trauma to the surrounding tissue pocket, contamination of the pocket and of course infection. Even a “subclinical“ infection will cause a contracture. Therefore, minimizing the inflammation, minimizing contamination and infection is critical to prevent a capsular contracture. This entails, of course, very careful dissection and handling of the tissue, minimal or no handling of the implant itself (no touch technique), use of a funnel to place the implant, and absolute attention to sterile technique which includes irrigation of the pocket with an antibiotic solution. With recent studies, it appears that the use of Betadine solution may even be better than the classic triple antibiotic irrigation used in the past. Minimizing traffic into the operating room, allowing only the surgeon to handle the implant, not touching skin or the nipple areola complex, appropriate care of the surgical instruments, etc. will all help to minimize capsular contracture. It also appears that placement of a breast implant underneath the pectoralis major muscle rather than on top of the muscle will also reduce the incidence of a contracture. When placed under the muscle, every time a patient moves her arm, she is gently massaging the implant and therefore the capsule with the contraction and relaxation of the muscles. Massage, stretching, range of motion have all been shown to decrease scar tissue contracture. Postoperatively, patients are allowed to begin range of motion and normal activities fairly soon to also help minimize capsular contracture. In those who have had contractures previously or who are known to have a propensity for thicker scar tissue healing, protocols involving anti-inflammatories and Singulair have also had some positive affects at minimizing contractures. Most importantly, the procedure must be done correctly and carefully the first time!
Most people when talking about recovery really want to know when they can get back to normal activities. Normal, everyday non-strenuous activities can usually be undertaken within several days to a week. Most patients are back to work if it is a non-strenuous or office type position within a week. I have had patients take as little as one day off and return to an office setting. That may be pushing it just a little bit for most people. If talking about exercise, I usually have patients abstain from any type of vigorous activity at least for two weeks and then very slowly resume activities as they are comfortable. I have had many patients resume upper body workout with very conservative light activity within three weeks. More strenuous activities can increase over the next few weeks. Usually within 4-6 weeks most patients are back doing whatever they would like to Because of the use of new pain protocols and the use of long-acting local anesthetics such as Exparel, post-operative discomfort for many is quite tolerable and often better-than-expected. I highly recommended that surgeons be fairly liberal with the use of local anesthetics during the procedure such as a breast augmentation. (Obviously within dosing guidelines.) This significantly improves the post-operative recovery and allows the anesthesia provider to minimize narcotics and other medications that can prolong recovery and which can cause many side effects such as nausea. When speaking about recovery in terms of scar maturity, relaxation of tissue and complete resolution of swelling, this may take upwards of several months. For most patients, at six weeks most patients will have a pretty accurate assessment of the final appearance and at that time I would expect little as far as changing size, however it can take a few months for all the swelling to subside in some patients. Also, many patients may notice that the implants "ride high" for a few weeks until the lower aspect of the breast relaxes and the upper breast tissue and muscle swelling go down. Often a bandeau bra/strap is used to help expedite the settling process. Almost always by 6 weeks patients are no longer wearing the bandeau. Nipple sensation can go up or down, almost always this is just temporary. Some will have hypersensitivity while others have some diminished feeling. Again, with 6-12 weeks this is usually back to normal. Hopefully, within a few months, most will forget that they have implants on a day to day basis. Breast augmentation is not meant to alter your activities, just help with a better proportion!
