Barry Stuart Handler, MD

I recently had a lip lift done by Dr.Barry Handler he went beyond and above that it turned out beautiful, with his technique and skill there was no pain and it was all done within an hour, if you're looking for a new lip lift I highly recommend it

Scheduled an appointment with Dr.Barry Handler to take out breast implants, he and staff were efficient telling me the results might have and giving me options, I call to make appointment 2 weeks later got the implants out and was able to have it done in office. It was all done with in an hour and a half, love my results! I was very comfortable, pleased And recommend him to all I know

Dr Handler has done 2 procedures for me. I am beyond pleased! He is very skilled and I feel safe in surgery with him. The office staff are also friendly and organized. I feel so much better with out excess skin etc. Wish I would have done sooner. I did not have pain issues and healing has been good. I highly recommend Dr. Handler.

Thank you Dr Handler, I had a explant on 5-18 and I have to say I went in there office very nervous not knowing what to expect. Dr Handler and his assistant (Amy) where great. Very attentive and responds to emails and phone calls right away. They talked to me thru the whole procedure considering it was local. Made me very comfortable I am happy I chose there office great experience and very kind. Dr Handler even came out to speak to my family to let them know how great everything went. Again thank you Dr Handler and Amy. Vanessa Escobar.

I'm 48 hours post removal under local and feel AWESOME!! Here's my story... In 2003 when I was 35, I had 350cc saline implants placed under the muscle. I was previously a 34B and was quite fit & svelte. At the time I thought implants would somehow make me feel better about myself. They were "okay & fun" for first few yrs, but they were too big for my active lifestyle and I began to regret getting them, even hiding them. I honestly (and unfortunately) thought I would be stuck with them for the rest of my life, not really knowing I could have them removed, or even able to afford it. The last few years I've been researching removal options, doctors and prices. A few prices/quotes ranged from $3500, 3200, 1900, 1700, etc. The less expensive ones were an hour or two away, with removal under local. I finally found a previous implant removal patient by a PS in San Diego (where I live) who had hers removed 3 yrs ago under local for $1000. Being 3 yrs ago, I thought maybe his price went up from $1000. Also, I was more than okay to have removal done under local than general, or otherwise. Sooo.... on April 12, 2016, I had a consult with Dr. Barry Handler in San Diego, only 5 miles from my home! The consult fee was $100, and is applied to the remaining cost of the procedure if you decide to follow thru with the procedure. He explained for an uncomplicated removal under local anesthesia would be $1000. He said after my consult that he could remove my implants under local and that I could even drive myself home, IF I didn't take any Ativan or percocet before procedure. He did suggest though, that I have someone bring me and drive me home since he said I should just take 1 or 2 percocets when I got there. I've had a few surgeries before for other health related things, both under general and local anesthesia, so this wasn't my first rodeo.. I knew what to expect and wasn't sweating it. Lol, plus - you can eat and drink beforehand under local, unlike with general. My surgery was scheduled for Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 2:00 pm. Arrived 15 min. early, signed a paper for procedure and paid my balance of $900. To my appt. I wore tights, tennis shoes, a sleeveless button up shirt a zip-front sports bra and a zip up sweatshirt. They brought me in the back and I took 2 percocets. **By the way, I happened to already have a bottle of percocet at home for my periodic chronic pain, so he asked me to bring my meds with me and instructed me to take two as I got there before he prepped me** I undressed from waist up, left tights and shoes on, and I put on a little hair net to keep it out of the way. He marked me with a pen where he'd make his incisions - under breast fold. He applied a foam version of Hibacleanse (sterile body wash/cleanser) all over my breasts, underarms and belly. I sat down in a type of dental chair but with flat arms, then they lowered chair and laid me flat. Draped some sanitary blue cloth dressings on my neck and abdomen. Then, he began right away.. numbed me up underneath each breast with the lidocaine numbing medication. I felt the needle but honestly it wasn't bad whatsoever! He started on right side using a cauterizer to make opening incision. The implants were so slippery and smooth so they were difficult at first for him to grab between his fingers. Once he had a grip on them, he starting tugging to pull it thru incision. I could feel him tugging- no pain at all, just pressure. And oh my gosh, when it came out, it made a pop sound like when you would pop the inside of your cheek with your finger or thumb. Such a surreal, amazing feeling! He placed them on a sterile clothed table next to me and I couldn't believe those things were in me! They were smooth and intact! I talked to the doctor and his assistant, Amy through the entire procedure - talked about our kids, hobbies, everything, lol! Dr. Handler DID place drains which is good as to avoid fluid build up, seroma, etc. I don't mind.. I was just happy to have implants out! Just be creative with your wardrobe for a few days and no one will ever know. As I write this, I'm 48 hours out and feel fantastic!! I mean, having them removed under local was the easiest, most uneventful thing I've done considering it was surgery! I'm more afraid of the dentist than what I went thru having them removed - sooo easy! I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Handler for implant removal, if yours is an uncomplicated, straight forward procedure, like mine. Anything more invasive or complex would cost more, and likely have to be done in a hospital setting under general anesthesia. Dr. Handler is very low-key, straight to the point, no sales pressure, yet professional and kind. I think he could tell how happy he made me by removing my implants - I shook his hand afterwards, then went in for a hug as I thanked him so much! My story is very long but I wanted to be thorough and let others know in the San Diego area or otherwise, just how amazingly easy it is to have this procedure done under local.. AND for an unbeatable price of $1000. I'm ecstatic and look and feel like a million bucks.. Over the moon happy to be myself again!! Updated on 24 Apr 2016: Today's Sunday, 4/24/16 and I'm 3 days removal post op. I feel awesome, free, light, and so far, very delighted with my appearance, considering I had them in 13yrs! I almost didn't care what I would initially look like afterwards, I was just so happy to finally be getting rid of these cumbersome things! During the 13yrs I had them, I did put on about 10 lbs, as alot of other ladies here have mentioned.. I was 35, now I'm 48... add to that the heaviness of the implants.. I personally felt gross and awful about myself. (P.S lost 2lbs of implants lol!) I do have drains to prevent fluid build up that could lead to seroma or other problems, as I've read about a couple other ladies on here experiencing problems with. Doctor wants to keep drains in for a week but its day 3, and the fluid drainage has decreased significantly, so I just might call them tomorrow to see if he can take them out sooner. I have NO pain whatsoever except a tiny bit of itching at the drain incision site. I even went for a good 20 minute walk with my (grown) sons earlier. Felt awesome! I feel so good, like I never had any procedure done. I forgot to mention in my first post that my appt time was 2:00pm - they were right on schedule. I was all done and walking out of the place exactly 1 hour later at 3 o'clock. I could not get over how flippin easy and effortless the whole process was! When doctor finished removing implants, he said I could even shower later that night if I wanted - wow! I told him I showered super thoroughly before my appt thinking it'd be a couple days or so.. but he said, "whatever works.. you can wait till tomorrow then." The staff told me I should get some food in me, even go grab some food somewhere! So I gleefully took their advice and my son's and I had a nice late afternoon patio lunch at a local restaurant and enjoyed the weather! I hope to upload some before, during and after pics, as I have none up yet. Again, if you're thinking about explanting, GO FOR IT!! I did mine under local and I can't stress enough how un-frightening, effortless and easy the whole process was. The preparation for removal under local anesthesia is WAY easier than general. I was able to eat & drink w/in just a couple-few hours prior to surgery unlike general anesthesia - no food/liquid like 8,10,12 hrs prior. I walked in to my procedure and walked out on my own accord - stopping off for lunch before heading home! They told me to dress comfortably so I wore tights, low top Converse tennis shoes, front zip-up sports bra, button up sleeveless shirt and brought a zip front hoodie sweatshirt in case I needed extra hiding room, which I didn't, plus it was a gorgeous day outside! I highly recommend Dr. Barry S. Handler in San Diego. Straight uncomplicated implant removal with no replacement or lift was $1,000 - out the door. His consult fee is $100 and that is applied towards cost of your procedure if you plan to go forward with it. Day of surgery I paid my remaining balance of $900. Nice, clean, small professional office, sweet/nice staff, yet very low key and unpretentious which fit my needs perfectly! Well, gonna try to upload some photos, then I'm off to enjoy this beautiful Sunday! ?? :) Updated on 24 Apr 2016: Found some old photos, plus of course, added some recent ones. Hopefully they upload alright. For some reason, a few of them loaded upside down and/or sideways. The pic of me in the pink bikini top was 2 years prior to implants. I don't know what the heck I was thinking cuz I think I looked pretty good beforehand and way more in shape/athletic than after getting those darn implants. Looking back, I certainly didn't need them. I went thru a tumultuous, nasty divorce and child custody battle less than a year after pink bikini pic and got my implants almost a year after divorce was finalized. I must've been out of my mind and mentally/emotionally exhausted, and somehow thinking implants would make me feel better about myself because I was so beat down in every way. I initiated the divorce so it's not like he had left me for another woman and I felt betrayed... He just put me and my 2 small sons thru pure hell during that time and MANY years afterwards... anyways.. sigh. Just soooo glad to have them gone out of my body forever!! :) Lol, got carried away.. just wanted to upload some pics. :) Updated on 11 May 2016: Updated on 15 Jun 2016: Update pics: 8 wks post explant! :)

Hi ladies, I have been diligently stalking this website for over a year now and would just like to start by saying thank you to everyone who has posted here; your stories have helped me to have the courage to finally do this! My story is pretty typical: always had a basically flat chest, couldn't even fill an A cup. Thought I would be SO SO much happier if only I could fill out a bikini or wear those sexy cleavage bearing shirts. So in 2008 when I was 21 I got implants. I told the surgeon that I wanted to be a small C, but of course that never happens, and with 400cc's of saline- I went from a 32A to a 34D. From the beginning I thought they were too big, but I did like them for the first couple of years. As I've gotten older I've started to feel that having breast implants shows a lack of confidence with myself and my body- and they make me feel slutty. I've pretty much stopped wearing anything that shows cleavage and I am more embarrassed to wear a bathing suit in public than I was when I was an A cup! My husband, whom I was with when I got the implants, never wanted me to get them in the first place. So when I told him I wanted them out he was supportive- after a short bout of told-you-so's; which I tolerated with minimal eye-rolling, because, hey, he did after all "tell-me-so". He also made me promise that this would be it, no more breast aug. Which I wholeheartedly agree with. After three consultations I have decided to have them removed with Dr. Handler here in San Diego- he is the first surgeon that did not spend the entire consultation trying to convince me to have them replaced. Per my request, he has agreed to do the procedure in his office under local anesthesia (I hate going under), and thinks the whole thing will take maybe 20-30 minutes. He does want me to have drains for a couple of days, which I am not overly excited about, but I suppose would be better than having fluid collect and him having to go back in. I am tentatively scheduling for the end of October so I can be sure to have a week off work to recover. Overall I am excited, but a bit apprehensive about what I will look like. I hope my skin is not to stretched out and bounces back to something at least similar to what I looked like before... Better go buy some padded bras! :) Updated on 17 Oct 2013: Only one more week til A- day and I'm starting to get pretty nervous. Part of me wants to call and and cancel my preop appointment that's scheduled for tomorrow. I have to keep reminding myself how long I've wanted to do this and no matter what it looks like its better than keeping these damn water balloons in my body. I wish I could just fast-forward and have this be over. Or, even better, rewind and never have done it to begin with. Ugghh Updated on 18 Oct 2013: So I went to my preop yesterday and payed for the procedure no changing my mind now! Doc told me to wear very very tight sports bras for the first few days, he recommended buying one size smaller than I used to be, but seeing as I used to be a 33A I don't think that exists! Haha. Oh well, I'm going today to buy something tiny :-) Updated on 24 Oct 2013: Just got home from the procedure. Everything went great but the percocrt I took prior to the surgery is making me sick to my stomach. I'll post pictures in a few days. Updated on 25 Oct 2013: Feeling pretty good today. I haven't taken any pain meds since just before the procedure, apparently percocet makes me sick and I know from past experience that other pain killers have similar side effects; so I'm sticking with Aleve, the pain really is pretty minimal anyways. I am pretty flat. Ok completely flat. But ny boobies feel soft and real; hopefully they "fluff" up over the coming weeks. about the surgery: I got there about 30 minutes beforehand and took 2 percicets and 10mg of valium, which made me feel pretty drowsy. He numbed me up with lidocaine really well. The surgery took about an hour, he actually removed the implants intact- I can't believe those big balloons were in my! The only part that was was painful is when he "roughed up" the inside of the pocket to help it adhere, which he did with his cauterizer and felt like being burned with a curling iron- on the inside. Less than pleasant. Also he insisted on placing drains. He wants them in for a week, but I'm going to call on Monday and beg to have them out. Its really hard to find shirts that are baggy enough around the midsection to hide these damn things. overall I feel pretty good and not having any regrets!! ps- this site won't let me post photos from my phone, so I'll have them up when I feel like going to a conputer Updated on 5 Nov 2013: Well, I am 12 days post-op and feeling awesome. No discomfort at all anymore. At least once a day i look down at my chest and say "I love you little boobies!" and its completely true! Here are some photos, sorry about the bad quality.