My surgery was on July 11, 2023. I got a mommy makeover, and everything went well from start to finish. Body is still healing, but I like my results so far. I was scared and unsure because I never had cosmetic surgery before. All the staff are very supportive and easy to talk to. I went to several consultations before making a decision. And I am glad that I chose Dr. David Nguyen (Heavenly Plastic Surgery)
After breastfeeding 3 kids in my 20's, I still looked good. It wasn't until my mid 40's that I realized I needed a little help. I began my research, visited 3 doctors, and finally decided to go with Heavenly plastic surgery in Lake Forest. I am so happy I did!! The staff was phenomenal and I love my results. Actually, my expectations were exceeded. I went in thinking I wanted 350CC's but the Dr. suggested 440. I listened to his professional advice and WOW! I am so thankful. Recovery was not painful, but it did take time for me to adjust.
Dr. David Nguyen and staff are extremely skillful & caring. I really enjoyed watching him and his nurse working together. To help correct my triangle face shape. I went in for buccal fat removal. The procedure went by smoothly. Discomfort/slight pain was minimal to none during the healing period. My results are beautiful. I highly recommend Heavenly Plastic Surgery. I trust his expertise wholeheartedly to meet all my beauty expectations. Thank you so much Dr. David Nguyen. Happy Holidays to all your beautiful people.
Dr. Nguyen dedicates so much of his time to fulfilling his patients' needs. He is very patient and doesn't hesitate to schedule follow-up appointments. Even though I asked him for certain procedures, he still put my standard of care as a patient first and made sure I got the most aesthetically pleasing results. He is not simply trying to cash in on his patients' insecurities and give them immediately gratifying results they might regret later. Dr. Nguyen communicates personally with you constantly to make sure you still qualify for the surgery and healing well. He is a hard-working doctor who will offer you what you need to enhance your features, rather than what you initially thought would look nice. I am more than pleased with my blepharoplasty and it is virtually undetectable. I would recommend him to anyone who wants top-of-the-line customer service, aesthetic outcomes, and affordably priced procedures.
Dr. Nguyen is an excellent, confident, caring, compassionate, honest AND most importantly trustworthy surgeon with excellent bedside manner! I knew from day one I was in good hands! I can’t even put into words how appreciative I am of him! I am two months post-op (Lipo 360 with Vaser and added inner thighs) and am extremely overjoyed with my results! Dr. Nguyen was available to me before and after my procedure. Big plus that the surgical center is right next door! Everything was very clean and they followed covid 19 protocol. I was anxious before my surgery because family couldn’t come in due to covid, but he comforted me when he marked me up, asking if it was ok we said a prayer before I was wheeled into surgery. That in itself calmed my nerves. I found my forever PS for ALL of my needs i.e., Botox for TMJ, laser for scars and whatever fillers I need. He is a true artist and will be honest with you, telling you what you do/don’t need. He’s a rare gem! An Artist! Comforting and unique! He is the one to go to! Thank you Rockstar Doc!
I finally did it. I had my breast augmentation this morning with Dr. David Nguyen at Heavenly Plastic Surgery in Lake Forrest CA and everything went great. I went with what my doctor suggest which was 470 ccs extra high profile. I was so worried about the size when he first suggested it that I was probably going to change my mind last minute but I figured the doctor knew best and I was overthinking everything. He decided on this size based on the fact that I did not want to get a lift done just yet. I am happy with my results so far even with all the swelling. I know that they will eventually "drop and fluff" so I'm looking forward to that. I also got my buccal fat removed and I am excited to see the end results in the couple weeks or months. Updated on 18 Oct 2020: Pain level 3/10, nothing crazy or unbearable probably due to the medication but it just feels like I am very sore and it does feel a little heavy and uncomfortable. I have been moving around and walking around a lot but it actually helps me feel better. I even washed dishes yesterday lol My husband was mad but I give him props for being such a great murse! :) My cheek are a little swollen and I have been on a liquid diet. It was done at the same time as my BA so I think it was nice that I was fully asleep for that procedure. Updated on 18 Oct 2020: When I first wake up I do feel the most uncomfortable but once I get out of bed and start moving around I feel good. I was so worried about the recovery but I’m hoping to feel way better sooner than I thought. My cheeks seem to be a little more swollen today but I am trying to ice as much as possible. Updated on 21 Oct 2020: Recovery has definitely been good and really liking my results. :) Updated on 21 Oct 2020: Swelling is definitely coming down and icing ha helped tremendously. Can’t wait to see final results. Updated on 21 Oct 2020: Feeling great and I am loving my size. Going back to work tomorrow so I know I still have to take it easy.
Writing a review 7 months post op. Had breast lift, augmentation, tummy tuck, and back lipo (full mommy makeover). Pros: I did feel very safe during the procedures and post op care. Dr. Nguyen was responsive to texts about the drain, required use of injections to prevent blood clots, etc. I did not feel pressured to do any surgeries other than what I wanted, not pushed into larger size implants. Overall I’m satisfied with the breast lift and implants, as well as the back lipo. He did explain that some of the issue was loose skin and not fat, so that wouldn’t be “perfect” afterwards. Cons: There were a few miscommunications with the front desk staff; however, they were resolved in a timely manner and Dr. Nguyen was available if needed. Overall, I am not satisfied with the tummy tuck. My belly button has a large line extending above it, causing it to look almost like a butt crack. I followed all post op care instructions and was at my goal weight before and after surgery. When I asked Dr. Nguyen multiple times about it, he essentially said that it happens sometimes due to swelling and it may look better if I were to lose enough weight that my abs showed. I would not recommend him for a tummy tuck.
I’ve hated HATED my stomach pooch! Hated! For 12 years. There’s mixed feelings knowing it’s coming off. I thought I had my Dr all lined up and someone recommended I just sit with him for a consult. Best decision EVER. I felt so comfortable and just knew in my heart and gut I was supposed to have my surgery with him. Plus to mAke things even better he is less expensive..: like wayyy less. Could it get any better??? Also !!! Stafff is sooo amazing like the sweetest MOST PATIENT EVER! Happy all the way. Surgery is set for Nov. 5th, three days away. Updated on 10 Nov 2021: Oh my gosh I am feeling so good! The first day was a little rough I could barely move but I just sat on my recliner during the day and was drugged and didn’t do much of anything. for two days. By the third day I started coming around and every night I slept in bed propped up strategically. I started coming around on the third day and taking and taking less and less pills. One thing I did get ,on day four, was allergic reaction to the antibiotic. I guess it can and it’s very common, give you a delayed reaction to the antibiotic which is just a rash on my midsection and my back which is really it’s itchy but with some Benadryl it went right away. I will post some pictures of my tummy tuck and my progress so far. I was going to do a mommy makeover and have a breast lift with implants along with my tummy tuck and liposuction to the flanks and stomach but I didn’t know how recovery was going to be. And yes they say that you save more money in the long run but that amount of money that you save is so minuscule compared to recovery. I’m so glad that i chose not to get the mommy makeover and Im doing one surgery at a time. I might do 360 lipo with my BL BA not sure. Updated on 10 Nov 2021: I took a video of my incision after I peeled off the tape because a little piece was already coming off of the tape and what I saw it looked a little dark and puffy almost like it was getting an infection. So my husband told me to takeoff the tape completely wash it out dry it out before it gets any worse because necrosis is so scary we didn’t wanna take any chances…. Turns out it was dark because it was bruised because I just got surgery in that area LOL and it’s puffy because I’m swollen lol ??????????????????don’t overthink!!! Updated on 10 Nov 2021: Updated on 11 Nov 2021: I can't tell you how many drs I spoke with. Own any consults I've been on. And not one has made me feel as comfortable as he has!!! Staff SUPER FRIENDLY!! They will text you or phone or email- they've always done their bet to accommodate me to the very best of their abilities. I can't speak highly enough about Dr and staff. Amber is the one I was in the most correspondence with-so sweet and patient!! Updated on 11 Nov 2021: Omg so surreal!! I checked in, kissed the hubs and kids goodbye.. or see you later. Scared out of my freaking mind trying not to let the first tear fall!! Everyone there made it sooo relaxed-(or at least semi relaxed lol) once I got IV line in and met with the anesthesiologist who was really funny and lightened the mood within a couple minutes I was wheeled back and the last thing I remember was him saying this is going to feel like you had a couple glasses of wine, woke up and there were nurses attending to me and I was ready to go home. Updated on 2 Dec 2021: THE DAY BEFORE THE REMOVAL these drains flare an infection!! Listen I don’t care what any one says dial soap (orange bar) and hot water and “scrub” and AIR DRY DO NOT WEAR COMPRESSION! 24hrs later gone baby!!!! Gone!!!
Summer of 2019 I was 290lbs and after lots of hard work I’m down to 115lbs! My arms have always bothered me, even when I was heavier but especially now :( I’m finally booked to get an arm lift with Heavenly Plastic Surgery in Lake Forest. Surgeon is very nice and answered all my preliminary questions (oh boy will I have more later lol). I’ll try to post before and after pictures for everyone! Updated on 16 May 2021: This is the current state of my arms 5/16/21 13 inches around Weight: 115.8lbs Height: 5’1 Age: 28 Bust: 33 inches around Waist: 25 inches Hips: 36 inches Weight loss journey started August 2019 at 290lbs
Tomorrow I'm having a tummy tuck with flank liposuction! I wanted to post my before pictures ahead of time since I'm unsure when I'll feel up to posting right after my procedure. I've never had a flat stomach; I've had rolls since elementary school and even at my lowest weight, my lower abdomen roll has stubbornly stayed put. It's made dressing nicely an exercise in learning how to tuck my extra skin, and that in turn has made me extraordinarily self-conscious about my stomach. I honestly can't imagine what life will be like without a bunch of extra bulk getting in my way, but I can't wait to find out! Heavenly Plastic Surgery has been absolutely wonderful so far - they have very good COVID protocols, the staff has been so warm and kind to me, and Dr. Nguyen has lived up to his great reviews. We had our first consultation over Zoom where Dr. Nguyen was able to advise me of the best procedure for my goals - I originally thought I needed stomach lipo, but with all my extra skin, I was actually a better candidate for a tummy tuck! He was also extraordinarily responsive after the consultation, both over email and text, as I peppered him with a bunch of follow up questions and my surgery fears. In my pre-op appointment in-person, he was able to better examine my stomach and determined that I could expect excellent results from the tuck. Apparently, I have very little fat on my lower back, so most of the extra bulk around my middle would simply be removed by the tummy tuck and I wouldn't need additional back lipo. I was incredibly embarrassed to have to completely undress in front of a stranger for my before photos/consultation, but Dr. Nguyen was incredibly professional and made me feel more at ease! Before this procedure, my measurements are as follows: Height: 5'4" Weight: 165 lbs Underbust: 36.5" Waist: 34" Lower Abdomen (just under my belly button): 41" Hip: 42" As you can see, somehow my lower stomach is just as big as my butt, and it's made working out such a nightmare. While I'm terrified of the pain, I really can't wait to get this over with! Updated on 30 Oct 2020: Today was my day of surgery, and I'm already back home and feeling pretty good and super happy that my extra bulk is gone! The surgery center was attached to the primary office, so it was easy to find, and all of the staff were incredibly lovely to me. They covered me in heated blankets while I waited to go back, and made me feel so at home. I got to meet and chat with everyone who would help work on me, and they were incredibly reassuring. When it finally came time, they put the mask on me and in moments I was deep asleep, having dreams. Because I was so significantly overweight as a child and despite not having any children myself, I had to undergo a muscle plication as part of my procedure. By the end of it all, apparently Dr. Nguyen removed over 6 lbs of tissue from my lower abdomen (!!). When I woke up, I honestly forgot where I was and was delighted to notice that those 6 extra pounds were no longer hanging off my lower abs. The only pain I noticed was the pinching of my skin, I assume from where I've been sewn together and where the 2 drains are. Dr. Nguyen uses both Exparel and some other numbing injection to make tucks as painless as possible, and I'm honestly incredibly relieved to be in so little pain. The pictures I've seen of my results so far are really exciting, and I'm so pleased to be rid of all that extra skin/fat! Updated on 31 Oct 2020: My nurse described today as the first full day of recovery and the one I should expect to be the worst. It's honestly been fine so far and through the night after my procedure, so fingers crossed it stays so easy! Last night I set an alarm on my phone to take hydrocodone-acetaminophen every 4 hours. I think that plus the Exparel have completed spared me of the tear-inducing pain I've seen other posters report. I've also been able to very carefully get myself into and out of bed, which was great because I had to urinate a lot last night, and I really didn't want to bother my boyfriend every 10 minutes even though he's been such an accommodating angel. The toilet seat riser I picked up for recovery has been a godsend as well - it saves me from having to sit too low, which might strain my stitches! So far I've have very little coming out of my drains, and what has come out has been mostly on the left side. For some reason I was most afraid of having drains in me before my first consultation, but I can't feel them in me at all and I just hide them under my shirt so I don't have to see them. Once again, my boyfriend has been a total angel and handling all the draining/measuring of them, so I've been spared all of that. Speaking of, I've attached a video of my procedure! Dr. Nguyen's team made this for their Instagram, and while I've found it hard to watch videos of other people's procedures, there's something really fascinating about seeing what happened to me. Yes, despite my natural queasiness! Today I start my antibiotics and Valium. We stocked up on probiotic yogurt for the occasion, and I'm working my way through our protein shake supply to help with my healing. While technically I can return to regular food today, I honestly have no appetite for it yet. Thank you to everyone for the extremely kind words and encouragement. I wish you all the best of luck on your own journeys. If you've been on the fence, you should 100% take the plunge whenever it's financially feasible for you to do so. Not carrying so much extra weight is life-changing, and I say this as someone who hasn't even seen their final aesthetic improvements yet. Updated on 1 Nov 2020: The evening of day 1 continued was pretty uneventful. I started my Valium in the afternoon, so I ended up spending much of the evening sleeping. I did finally eat my first solid food since 2 days before surgery - just plain chicken with some broccoli, and it really hit the spot! Other than that, I've been subsisting off of protein shakes and probiotic yogurts - I haven't craved much else. I did find it slightly harder to get myself out of bed as the day went on - I could feel my stitches in ways I couldn't the day before, presumably because the anesthesia had finally fully worn off. Luckily my angelic boyfriend is willing and able to lift me out of bed every time I need help! Like the day before, I've continued to religiously re-up my pain medicine every 4 hours, even in the middle of the night, and my recovery has continued to be relatively pain-free. On the morning of day 2, I seem to be a bit stronger and back to being able to get out of bed alone, though out of an abundance of caution I've been asking for my boyfriend's help in getting upright at least. I also decided to wash my hair in the sink today and gave myself a sponge bath. Words can't describe how great it is to have clean hair again! I haven't removed my compression garment at all - my nurse advised against it, so I'm going to keep it on until I hear otherwise. My post-op appointment is tomorrow, so I'll find out then I guess how long I can expect to wear this garment and my drains! Updated on 2 Nov 2020: Day 2 finished out pretty uneventfully - the most notable things were just that the "muscle spasms" I was told to expect finally started in the night, but they were pretty minor and a little Diazepam was enough to stop it. I haven't had any debilitating back pains, but that might be because I did a lot of heavy deadlifts in the months leading up to the surgery, and so my back is muscled enough to handle the constant hunching. I largely just slept through the day once again, with breaks only to walk slowly/hunchedly over to the bathroom and back. My drains are also finally changing in the fluid they're carrying - from primarily blood-colored to mostly what I think is serum. Hopefully that's a sign things are healing nicely! My body is also finally demanding "real" food - I was able to get away with mostly protein shakes and probiotic yogurt until now, but in the middle of the night my stomach started growling nonstop. I guess it's time to start incorporating more very plain, but regular meals into my day! This morning I'm experiencing a little pinching on my front area, I assume where my incision is, and I have some tingling in my stomach area - I guess I still have nerves there! As my hydrocodone-acetaminophen kicks in, I imagine all these tingly feelings and pinches will go away again, but they're not at all intolerable, just annoying and new. Later today I have my first post-op follow up, and I'm not sure what to expect but I hope it goes well. Updated on 3 Nov 2020: Yesterday was my first post-op appointment, and my doctor really just checked on my incisions and confirmed they were healing well, then advised me that it was time for me to also make sure my belly button was getting Neosporin and gauzed twice a day. Apparently I was supposed to also be applying Neosporin and gauze to where my drain tubes met my incision, too! All these things make sense, but for whatever reason I missed those instructions. Since then, my boyfriend has since been gauzing me up, and it's honestly been a relief to have that extra gauze padding around my tubes! The sensation of getting/removing gauze from my new belly button is very weird, and having my compression garment opened up also feels bizarre - like I'm a pile of jelly that's lost its container. Luckily we keep my time out of garment as short as possible. The nurses at my appointment remarked that I'm in extraordinarily good spirits, and I honestly think it's because I've not only had very little pain, but also have made a point to avoid looking at myself this early on in my recovery. I've seen a glimpse of my extremely bruised hip, and it was more than enough for me. I'm very much still a swollen work-in-progress, and seeing myself in this state just seems extremely counter productive. I'm okay with waiting until I'm further along! This whole thing is a marathon, not a sprint, and I trust my results will be an improvement over how I was before. If my recovery continues to go so well, it looks like I may get my drains removed as early as next week Monday! I can't wait to get these annoying things out! Other than that appointment, things have continued to be pretty uneventful. I've continued re-incorporating regular, low sodium food into my diet in addition to probiotic shakes and have passed most of my time just napping. Today on day 4, I'm ending my hydrocodone-acetaminophen intake and just taking acetaminophen instead. My pain is really minimal and mostly pinching/muscle twitches, and the acetaminophen seems to be sufficient now. I still seem drowsy despite making this switch, but hopefully it'll improve how many hours a day I can manage to stay awake. Updated on 4 Nov 2020: I was thinking of posting less frequently because my recovery was so smooth, but today was unexpectedly exciting. For the most part things are still going smoothly - my drains are becoming more and more clear, and the amount of fluid is ever-decreasing. Despite all that, I felt a bit poor all day, and after this was all said and done, my boyfriend let me know I was looking pale all day. While Colace, my stool softener, had worked fine earlier in my recovery, somehow it failed me now. While I hadn't had a bowel movement in a few days, I've been eating very little "real" food and assumed that was normal. And now that I'm fully off of my narcotics, I thought I was in the clear. However at the end of today, I finally felt the urge to "go", but when I tried I ended up in an immense amount of pain. This was unlike any constipation I've ever felt in my life, and I honestly thought I might die. I ended up resolving it, but good god I highly recommend anyone who gets prescribed narcotics to both use a different stool softener than Colace and to have an enema handy in case that also fails. In the straining of the moment, I also felt a what might have been a "pop" in my muscles. I'm wondering now if I perhaps popped a plication stitch. I suppose there's no way for me to tell for sure, but I do feel new tingling in that area that I haven't felt since much earlier in my recovery. Hopefully losing one stitch later in recovery won't affect my final result. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Updated on 9 Nov 2020: Recovery has been going really smoothly! Today I finally got one of my drains out, but the other is still a bit too full to be removed, so my follow up is planned for next Monday. Fingers crossed! Once I get that out, I'll probably switch to wearing a faja for the next few months. My current compression garment seems like it's meant to cover my waist and upper hit, but it keeps riding up and has to be adjusted all the time. I'm hoping the faja will just stay put! This is the first day I've really removed my post surgery binder at all, so I was able to get some updated measurements. Despite some swelling, I'm already seeing a huge difference: Weight: 160 (5 lbs lost) Bust: 41 Underbust: 36 (.5 in lost) Waist: 33 (1 in lost) Lower Abdomen: 38 (3 in lost) Hips: 41 I honestly still can't believe this is my new body, and even if I never improved from here I'd still be very happy with these results. The lower ab roll was not just an obstacle for making clothes fit right, but it was just always in the way. I can't say I miss it at all, but it's going to take some time to get used to not having it anymore. When it comes to my plication, I'm honestly not able to feel it anymore, though I've continued taking acetaminophen just in case. I'm able to move around the house a lot more each day, and my doctor has cleared me to try and start straightening out. The biggest "obstacle" in my mind towards straightening is really just the pulling sensation on my stitches. Dr. Nguyen also gave me a heads up that during surgery, I didn't get very much lipo mainly because I bled far more than he was comfortable with. I'm honestly fine with that, and it explains why I didn't "leak" as much as I've read other posters here and why my post-surgery bruises were so dark. I may have to get a blood panel done if I plan on getting more lipo in the future, just to make sure I don't have a bleeding disorder. Updated on 16 Nov 2020: Tonight I finally get my last drain removed! Really looking forward to being able to shower again, and wear clothes without worrying about tugging on the drain. Over the last week I've started finally regaining nerves in my tummy tuck region, which is a blessing and a curse. I'm glad they're coming back, but also I can now feel tugging and occasional twings of pain that I hadn't felt before. It's not a huge deal, but it is annoying and I can't wait to get over this phase. As you can see in my photos too, I'm not yet back to standing straight up - when I try, I still get an uncomfortable pulling sensation, and if I walk around at the angle I am able to get to ~85 degrees), my back gets tired after a while. Since there's no huge rush and I'm not about to accidentally open my incision, I'm taking it slow and firstly trying to get to the point where I can lie flat again. I'm almost there, and I think in the next week or so I'll be back to standing upright/sleeping flat. Once I get this drain out, I'm going to transition to wearing a seamless faja full-time, mostly to minimize my chances of getting a seroma. I've read every medical paper I could find on tummy tuck complications, and they seem to agree that having snug compression during recovery also helps. I'm honestly extremely glad I did this surgery during quarantine. While having 1 week off is, in my opinion, mandatory after a tummy tuck, 2 weeks would've been ideal. Since I just have a remote desk job, I was fortunate to be able to do my 2nd week of recovery/1st week back at work from the comfort of bed, but even then I was slower than usual and struggled to stay awake for the first half of the week and even now, I find myself really dragging by the end of the day. When it comes to my post-op measurements, it seems they haven't changed much since my last post: Bust: 40" Underbust: 35" (1.5" lost since pre-op) Waist: 34" (1" gained??) Lower ab: 38" (3" lost) Hip: 42" I did eat something a bit saltier than usual yesterday, so that may be the reason for the extra inch in the waist. Updated on 23 Nov 2020: I'm over 3 weeks out from my tummy tuck, and every day things keep getting better! Last Monday I was finally able to get my last drain out, and so a few days later I was able to take my first real shower in almost 3 weeks. That was easily the best shower of my life, and I feel so much more like a real person again! Since the drain is out, I've also transitioned to wearing a faja for compression. The faja has made it a lot easier to move, lay flat, and stand more upright. The compression it provides makes me feel way more secure than the garment that only covers the abdomen, and is in my opinon, worth the hassle of getting on/off. It also honestly makes me look so good in clothes, despite all the swelling! My mobility is now way up, though a few days ago I may have pushed myself too hard. I've been trying to start doing chores again, but it seems my movement ended up irritating my belly button and "leaking" oil from there into my faja. I also somehow bumped my stomach into the kitchen counter and bruised myself a bit. Needless to say, even though I technically *can* move around more, I'm taking it a little bit easier to make sure I don't injure myself! Also, while I can lay flat, I still struggle with standing fully upright. When I try, I feel internal pulling, I guess because of how tight I've been tucked. Given how I've already slightly injured my belly button, I'm inclined to make standing perfectly straight a longer-term project to avoid further injuries. I still swell by end of day or after a salty meal, but it doesn't really bother me too much; I knew what to expect going in, and even a swollen post-TT belly still looks better to me than what I was working with before. I also seem to have a little bit of light-headedness sometimes, like right now, so hopefully this update is coherent! When it comes to measurements, here's where I'm at, despite being only a few days away from my period: Bust: 40 (1" lost) Underbust: 34 (2.5" lost) Waist: 33 (1" lost) Lower abdomen: 37 (4" lost) Hip: 41 (1" lost)