I had been considering a breast reduction for about a year before I met with Dr. Schmelzer and his staff. Having never had a single surgical procedure in my life, I was very leery of going under the knife- especially for a procedure that was not considered a medical necessity but was more cosmetic in nature.
As an event planner, I execute anywhere from 20-40 weddings from May to October. In August, my lower back was killing me. I could barely get through a ten hour day on my feet, let alone lift boxes of heavy linens, center pieces and other items required to execute my events. I would spend the day following an event recuperating and icing my back. It was then that I decided to consult with my physician about the possibilities of a breast reduction. I was referred to Dr. Schmelzer. Before meeting with him, I had called his office with questions in mind. His staff was so friendly and helpful. I called at 4:45 on a Friday night and his receptionist (who was probably eager to start her weekend), spent 30 minutes on the phone with me answering all sorts of questions I had related to the cost of the procedure, what insurance typically did and did not cover, what my estimated out of pocket would be, what I could expect from the surgical procedure, how long recovery was estimated to be and so forth (I had LOTS of questions). She made me feel comfortable and wasn't in a hurry to get me off the phone. She spoke with me until all my questions had been answered. Because of this, I wasn't hesitant to move forward in booking a consult with Dr. Schmelzer.
While still nervous about the surgery, upon meeting with Dr. Schmelzer and his staff, I no longer questioned or had doubts about moving forward and I approached my surgery date with confidence. I should mention that Dr. Schmelzer was very kind to work with my schedule as well. Due to the nature of my work, I had a small window of time where I could have the surgery with enough recovery time before my next event. The entire team was very accommodating and I felt good about the surgery date I was able to schedule.
My recovery was exactly what I was informed it would be. Although uncomfortable for the first week with lots of redness and swelling, I didn't panic because I was well informed beforehand on what to expect. I knew exactly how soon I could shower and get my incisions wet, I had a fairly good idea of how long any numbness would last. I knew what level of activity I could resume and when. And when I had a small problem with one of my incisions not healing as quickly as the other, I was able to get in right away and meet with Dr. Schmelzer who walked me through some simple tips on how to treat it at home.
I have nothing but great things to say about my experience. I know how difficult it can be to make the decision to have surgery and I also understand how uncertain one might feel trying to visualize the results of any body-altering procedure. My point is that Dr. Schmelzer and his staff helped me to make a very informed decision with confidence and they delivered to and exceeded my expectations. I would not hesitate to recommend the services of their team.