I just completed my second Ellacor with Shani Caviness and her sidekick, Amy. Despite some pain involved, the overall experience was very pleasant because of Shani and Amy. I am very happy with the results so far and I expect continued improvement. I am 75 and this procedure was just what was needed to fix a problem area. I would highly recommend the procedure.
Dr Bharti was very professional from the first consultation. After losing 95 lbs, my body was in shape, but my loose skin around my abdomen and my sagging breasts weren’t. Dr Bharti told me his vision of Breast reduction/ lift, tummy tuck & buttom lift. I was extremely nervous, but everyone on staff was very supportive. The surgery went well and recovery was tough, but do-able. Now I have the body to match my daily workout efforts! I even have stomach muscles back in their correct place after being stretched out from childbirth, giving me a more cut, six-pack appearance. My childbirth stretch marks are gone as well. I’m 52 yrs old and can now rock a bikini better than I could in college! I demand the best because my body deserves it! Dr Bharti is definitely the best!
Dr. Bharti is not only an incredibly talented surgeon, but also one of the kindest people you will ever meet. His number one concern is his patient. He and his staff went above and beyond to give me the exact result I was hoping for with my breast augmentation while making sure my concerns were met along the way. The surgery was hands down the best surgical experience I have ever had in my life. From the anesthesia to the recovery, I am still in awe of how easy process was. I have had strangers stop me and ask if my breasts are real because 'they are so perfect, but look to natural to be fake'. I wanted a natural look that simply returned the volume I lost after nursing 2 babies and Dr. Bharti gave me breasts that look better than I ever could have dreamed!
Dr. B and his staff have been great from the beginning and the aftercare for my procedures has been above and beyond. After 2 kids, my body was a wreck and I had a tummy tuck, Lipo to flanks and a breast augmentation. I couldn't be happier with my results. I scrutinized before and after photos of many surgeons and went to several consults before choosing Dr. Bharti. As soon as I had my initial consult with him, my fiance and I knew he was the one. I have friends who have had similar procedures and did not receive the quality of care, expertise and aftercare that I have received and they are unhappy with their results. It's worth it to get it done right the first time with a surgeon who will put your safety first over cutting corners to save a little money. I would recommend Dr. Bharti to anyone who wants to feel better about their appearance. He is top notch! I am wearing a bikini for the first time in 20 years! Love him and so grateful to him and his entire staff.
Him and all staff at Hunstad Kortesis was so nice and helpful. They welcomed me in from the beginning. From the pre op appointment and took excellent care of me through out surgery and all of my check ups afterwards. A Life changing experience like this is scary but they made it awesome. I am very thankful. Updated on 28 Aug 2018: Im not sure about my results anymore I feel it looks so choppy i thought it would get better but I worry about my looks more every day. It’s been 6 months but I’m still thankful all the extra is gone though and the staff were great..
After nursing my son for 13 months, my breasts were too small, I didn't feel feminine anymore. I wanted to get fuller breasts, but a natural look and not too large. I decided to get the teardrop gel implants. The experience at the Hunstad Kortesis Center was excellent from consultation to aftercare. I can highly recommend Dr. Kortesis. First-class surgeon, professional!
For years I have wanted a breast augmentation due to my pear shaped figure so that I could feel better proportioned and 'normal'. Tired of wearing padded push-up bras, being unable to wear strapless dresses, looking flat in workout clothes and swim suits and a general feeling of self-consciousness about myself were my motivations. I was nervous about having the surgery and coming out looking like I had big fake boobs. My goal has always been to look as natural and well proportioned as possible. I carefully researched local surgeons and was ultimately won over by Hunstad-Kortesis as a result of talking to past patients, reviewing the photo gallery and by attending the after-hours event in which I was able to talk to Dr. Kortesis one on one in a non-threatening relaxed atmosphere. At my first appointment I was able to view a computer generated image of what I could expect based on the implants and size I was interested in. I truly could not be more pleased with my result. My expectations were vastly exceeded and I wish I hadn't waited so long to do this! The Mentor memory shape implants are awesome and I am proud about how I look and feel for the first time in my memory. I also had Axilla Bilateral Lipo and although the recovery from that was much worse than the augmentation, I am so glad I had it done as I have hated those little fat pooches since I was 12. I've referred to my surgeon as an artist- that is how strongly I feel about my experience and my 'after'results. My advice to all considering these procedures is to do your research, be honest about your goals with your doctor, rely on his/her professional guidance, and don't let cost alone be your decision maker.
I am 26yrs old will be 27 next month. This is my birthday from my husband. :) I have 2 kids, a soon to be 4 year old and a soon to be 2year old, both July birthdays and csections. I had severe hyperemesis with the first and needed a Picc line hospitalization and then home nursing, I went from 180lbs to 124 at birth.A month after birth I started packing on the pounds uncontrollably. I tried to exercise, eat right nothing worked. By time my son was going in for heart surgery on Dec 1st of 2011, I had gained 60lbs.he was born with several heart defects because of the antinausea meds I was on. By the next year in May I was at 200lbs and by his first birthday 224lbs.I had given up at this point I was always tired and despite watching what I ate nothing was working. Found out we were expecting our 2nd in November of 2012 at that point I was 246lbs. I got hyperemesis again but not as severe, I needed a medication pump but no PICC line. By 26 weeks I was fine unlike my first where the nausea and vomiting was there until a week after birth. I was 200lbs after birth and again one month after birth I started gaining weight uncontrollably. Again nothing I did worked.I was loosing so much hair, my skin was dry and flaking. This time I was determined to find out what was wrong. I found a pcm and she was very kind and listened to my concerns. She ran a thyroid panel and B12, vitamin D..... Basically checked all the things she thought could cause it, my b12 was super low, so was vitamin d and iron. My thyroid was also very low. She put me on synthroid and vitamin replacements and b12 injections and for the first time in years I felt great.The first week I lost 6lbs.The second week I felt weird, I went back to being so hungry and my heart would beat so fast at times I thought I would pass out. I went back she ran my thyroid panel again, it came back very hyperthyroid!! She said no something has to be wrong here the synthroid dosage should not be doing this. She found the nearest endocrinologist and put in for an emergency consult. By the same week I was in to see the endo who is usually booked out 2 months ahead. She ran tests and took an ultrasound of my throat.Despite having stopped the synthroid my thyroid levels were very high. She called me back 3 days later and ran the panel again and I was again hypothyroid.Very low my hair was falling I had gained back the 6lbs plus another 7lbs. Apparently the hyperemesis had made my thyroid go hyper in order to feed me and my babies and was having trouble adjusting back to normal after birth. After a year of being on low dose synthroid and following her exact diet plan and exercising I lost 100lbs. From 264.8lbs to 164.8lbs :) But this meant am left with hanging belly and skin. Long drives make my legs numb because my belly overhang cuts off my circulation. So this year my husband said you have worked so hard for this , hell and back a couple of times and am not going to let this hold you back or stop you from being the you that you want to be. And with that I started looking around for surgeons. We had a couple of scares with his pending deployment, they kept shifting the dates. But they finally got a date and I was able to schedule my surgery. I met Dr Kortesis at Hunstad and Kortesis in Charlotte. Of all the doctors I met he resonated so well with my goals.He is funny and personable. He listens and doesn't push any procedure,his goal is an ultimately happy you. Of all the solutions I had heard from different doctors , his made the most sense. Despite the fact that the quote was higher than I had from other doctors, I knew he was the doctor for me. I booked the same day and made my payment. I will be doing a fleur de lis tummy tuck and liposuction of back flanks and of my now mild buffalo hump ( this thing was so big last year I could not sleep on my back). And by the way he just threw the buffalo hump lipo in no charge. :-). I had crossed that off the quote to bring the cost down a bit and when his surgery co-ordinator told him,he said oh no put it back no charge. :).garments are included and endermologie treatments after. I am super excited. I still have my boobs to lift ,my arms and possibly thighs but I will stage those as the year progresses. He is well worth the 4hr drive I made. Updated on 18 Apr 2015: I can't believe I have only 3 days left before the surgery. I have waited for this for so long but now it feels surreal. I have been packing most of the day medications, lollipops ,walker etc. (lollipops have always helped me with post operative nausea) I will post pictures tomorrow and again on Wednesday before am wheeled in. I have been worried about how my husband could take care of me and two kids. Since my surgeon is 4hrs away I will be staying in a local hotel for a week. This could be problematic in terms of how to keep the kids off me.if we stay in the same room. So I thought maybe get two rooms then 2 days post op my husband and the kids would come back home and I would take care of myself. Well I told my mom about this plan. She is a nurse and very much wanted to come help me but could not secure that vacation time. Instead she has vacation that starts 10 days post op. Anyway she wanted to hear none of that gibberish of me being on my own Lol.She offered to hire a nurse to come check on me 4hrs out of the day. There is no way I could afford that extra expense, I was completely blown away that she would do that, so I have been crying on and off most of the evening. :) This solves so much of the stress I was having. My husband is very capable of taking care of the kids and can do so with no worry that he is neglecting me. So yay for mothers. I worked so hard to get to this point, and to feel that support from everyone around me has overwhelmed my heart with joy. I have never been the smallest girl, I was always alittle bigger and taller until I hit 16 and everyone seemed to all of a sudden walk on stilts when my upwards growth slowed theirs picked up. Anyway by belly has always had the baby fat look, but because I was a runner my legs were long and lean.So it was common place for random people and schoolmates to say. " you look 3,4 months pregnant, you look like a pregnant mosquito, maybe you should eat standing up so your food goes to your legs " I tried that last one lol,knew that is not how it works but heck why not try .I was bullied a lot and it affected my self esteem greatly.I retreated to my books and graduated high school at 16. Anyway I would give anything now to go back to that belly a little pudgy but not hanging. To be confronted by the idea that I might look better than that, that I can sit down without my legs going numb or I could run without a constant slap soundtrack!! Am ecstatic. May 29th is my birthday a new year of life a new me. Updated on 21 Apr 2015: I will get better photos at the doctors office tomorrow, the mirrors are making me look a lot smaller than I am I think. It's weird but I still feel and think of myself as I was a year ago,until I put on something and realize "oh wait a minute this is too big now" The Drury inn suites are wonderful though, spacious and the room is located near the elevator and next to the vending machine and ice machine.All around good placement and arrangement for recovery. I will update in the morning and later on after surgery Updated on 24 Apr 2015: The pain has gone down significantly,I can walk around with the walker much better .had my post op appointment today. I got to look at me belly and I love it am still swollen but it looks good, got to see a little bit at the doctors office. Dr Kortesis and his team did a great job, and even their post op care is awesome.Staying in the surgical suite for that first night was definitely a good idea. The meds have me waning in and out of sleep so excuse any errors on the post. I definitely plan on going back to him for my thighs,arms and boobs.he is worth the price and the drive.will take a few photos when I shower so I can upload. :) Updated on 25 Apr 2015: So today I was able to take a quick shower and btw Drury hotels will provide a shower chair if you ask, they have been very helpful and accommodating since we got here. The shower was good but within a few seconds of turning of the water, the chill. I got so cold, I was shivering.the room was set at 80 but I was still cold, I blow dried the incisions dry after patting them, my husband helped put my belt and clothes on quickly but I I was still shivering I took my Valium and tried to relax under a couple of blankets, that did not work, took my Percocet and finally fell asleep. When I woke up I was back to normal not shivering or anything. :) I feel really nice and fresh but am not going to take another shower for atleast a few days maybe just wipe off. I don't know if this is normal but I want to itch my skin so bad, it's still partially numb but super itchy. Am not taking my pain meds as often now, it only hurts when I cough. Hurts so bad when I cough tried holding a pillow to my belly but still hurts am afraid I will tear something. :/ Had to call my doctor today on his cell left a message and he called back in less than 5 minutes :).I see him again on Monday and he might take off one of my drains off. His practice is just phenomenal I can't recommend him enough. Once we do the after photos I will upload all the pre op and post op photos. I got to look at my back today :D I have shoulder blades now :D.i can't wait for all the swelling to go down. Updated on 29 Apr 2015: The 26 of April was the hardest day, I was coughing so much, in so much pain 27th April ,went in to see dr Kortesis and he reassured me that this was the hardest day and it would pass, I was crying because of how bad it hurt to cough my throat hurt to swallow anything he held my hand took a tissue and wiped my tears off. He had another doctor with him that he was training unfortunately I could not remember his name but he is also very caring obviously learning from the right person :) . So instead of a cough suppressant we got an expectorant something to lighten it up so that it didn't take so much to cough it up.that worked well. 28th of April went back to see Dr K, he wanted to make sure i was doing better. And he was right the expectorant helped I was doing a lot better, I was still coughing but it didn't hurt because it didn't take so much coughing to get it out, I was feeling a lot better. I sat on my walker and my husband pushed me around the parking lot the sun did me a lot of good. 29th of April pretty much a lazy day woke up had breakfast took my meds and wiped myself off , took a nap watched some movies,walked around the room. What I have found out is having this fleur de lis tummy tuck is almost like having a lap pand or something of the sort in terms off, you may want to eat a lot but your muscles are so tight they remind you to stop lol. Am so glad I did it My tummy is soooooooo flat despite the the swelling that is still there :) Am leaving Charlotte tomorrow after I see Dr K again. I still have both drains am in no hurry to get them out as long as they still work, all that coughing made the one drain that was slow pick up again, but Dr K assured me my muscle plication is intact despite the coughing. I will have to drive back maybe end of next week to check on the drains. Updated on 29 Apr 2015: I keep looking at the photos above and how I look now even with the swelling and I can't help but tear up, he got rid of 99.99% of my stretch marks, I don't need to wear scarves anymore to hide my hump,although I might wear them until my body temp normalizes. :) I will have him give me a few photos tomorrow just to upload on here, aaaaah seriously it hurts I will not lie it hurts but it is is SOOOOO WORTH IT, especially with the HK team I feel like I have made friends already. Can't wait to finish the rest of the procedures I need done :). I have this photo we took when we were changing my dressings but I can't figure out how to hide by boobs since they are just kinda hangin' out lol.how do you add those squiggles to hide the nipple area? Updated on 4 May 2015: I think it's 2 weeks good God the Valium is messing with my memory so bad.i have my follow up this Wednesday and should be able to get some photos done since I have a feeling my drains will be coming out. They are finally under 25cc in a 24hr period, sucks having them but I did not want to develop seromas I think that's what the fluid pockets are called. One part of my incision seems to be leaking some weird smelling liquid to I cleaned with wound cleanser dabbed with gauze and dressed with silver alginate. Which am using on my belly button and drain sites. Overall am okay still hunched over and sleepy most of the time. Can't wait for the drains to be out so I can go for a walk outside the stitch keeps tugging and hurts to walk with it. I made the best decision going with HK, everything worked out so well.I got a care giver through care.com Miss Cynthia and she is a gem best after surgery companion.Drury inn at university place was so accomodating. First day I came back to the room they didn't have a wheel chair available so one of their concierge used an office chair to roll me to the room lol. Another day one of their cleaning ladies I think her name was Betty helped my husband wheel me out on my walker and get in the car as my husband rustled the babies. Miss Cynthia my care provider, she went above and beyond the job description, she will be caring for my kids during my appointment this Wednesday.I will be making a YouTube video once I have all the photos. But am happy, still swollen but very happy. Dr Kortesis thumbs up :) Can't wait to do my boobs,thighs and bat wings. If you are considering this procedure please give HK a try you will not be disappointed their care goes beyond the payment stage. You know where some doctors will now show their true colors once everything is paid. Mmmmhmm :/. But these guys are just peaches and cream. Updated on 7 May 2015: I had one drain removed yesterday, it was uncomfortable when they started pulling but then it went into the realm of Holy Jesus so fast my jaw dropped for like 5 minutes!!! My husband had to close my mouth for me lol. He says I had the look of utter betrayal that our daughter has after she has been hugging it out with doctors then they stick her with needles for her vaxes.I guess that's where she gets that from lol. Anyway Dr Kortesis offered to help me take out the other drain myself over Skype to save me the trip, it's a 4 hr trip rough with many construction zones. I had agreed to it until I got the first one pulled!!!! I can't do that to myself, I think I have a pretty good pain tolerance but not self inflicted I will chicken out with the thing hanging out halfway if I try it ..... So no thank you, I miss my HK family so much anyway I will make that drive again. ???? I did get to converse with some patients in the scheduling room and am telling you the general consensus is that these guys are the best, someone else screws you up this is where you want to get fixed, they are all perfectionists. When their intro video in the waiting room talks about how excited they get when they see a patients transformation ..... They are not kidding they really are not, it's not feigned excitement but actual OMG type of excitement including the doctors not just the girls. I feel if I can high five my doctor over his job he did a darn good job. Anyway the patients I conversed with in the scheduling room one had a fleur de lis done years ago and was coming back for something else and one was scheduling a fleur de lis!! Well how about that :) Anyway apparently don't get photos done there till 3 months post op, I did get my tapes off and am already using the scar treatment cream.first bottle complimentary by the way. Am still pretty swollen but it is going down slowly. I took one photo today seated I will take another tomorrow after my shower.i have had no issues with where the vertical and horizontal incisions meet (knock on wood) so far healing great. I will do the YouTube video after I have more photos to show then finally again after that 3 month photo op :) If you need something done try HK first don't play Russian roulette with your care. Updated on 7 May 2015: Need to figure out how to squiggle out girly parts so I can upload more photos will see if my husband can help with that he is the computer and tech guru of this family. Updated on 7 May 2015: Uh and I got a card from HK signed by all of them, a get well soon card, that was really thoughtful of them. ?? Updated on 7 May 2015: My belly button a couple of days ago without the antibiotic gauze, finally my belly button won't be knuckle deep ???????? or so wide I could hide stuff in it ???? I seriously can't wait for all the swelling to go down,walk up straight and stare at my belly all day ???????? Dr Kortesis you are the best ????????. I don't even care about anyone noticing the scar am about to find a crop top somewhere and just show off I think am going to cry. Updated on 8 May 2015: Feeling so much better today, like night and day compared to yesterday. I walked a bunch today. Am no longer getting chills up my back.I think my body temp is normalizing finally.I can stop baking everyone at 80.' Instead I can go as low as 74 on the AC lol. Will shower in the evening so that all that exhaustion I get is channelled into sleeping.I will take photos right after as well. Am still needing to take pain meds but not after the 4-6 hrs am able to spread it to 10-12 hours anything after that and the pain gets a bit too crazy for me.the 14th hour is definitely the witching hour lol at that point it hurts like the the dickens. That's all for now Updated on 13 May 2015: The last couple of days have been an itchy blurr. I don't know if the cumulative effects of the Valium and Percocet are piling up but, I could barely stay awake. I think I have been awake for a total of maybe 4 hours in more than 4 days. Am on my way to get my last drain out am hoping with this I can use the whole body compression. Am hoping this controls pain better and am able to give up on the Valium and Percocet. I am nervous as whole hell to get this drain out. Like am literally shaking as we get closer to the office. I will be so happy it's gone but those few seconds it takes to take it out really honestly I want to puke is how nervous I am. I had changed my appointment to Thursday so Dr Kortesis could do it but something came up with my husbands work so I had to switch it to today. He was nice enough to agree to that Thursday appointment seeing as they just had a baby. But Alas!! I think I would have been less nervous with him doing it but I can't drive myself tomorrow so let's see how this goes. I have been taking photos just need to edit them on my computer then upload. Updated on 13 May 2015: Final drain is out. Dr flagstaff took it out. He was very gentle. :) did not hurt anywhere as much as the last one or as I had imagined it would be. He pulled half out gave me a few seconds to breath then did the rest. I was so nervous he calmed me down before he even started doing anything. Seriously love HK. Dr Flagstad has been the one working with Dr Kortesis on me so am glad I was finally lucid enough to remember his name because he is awesome. :) no more drains yeeih. Next appointment next week Tuesday to check for any fluid accumulation. Updated on 14 May 2015: Tried going cold turkey on my pain meds, youthful naïvety and enthusiasm I believe they call it. Lol Had Percocet last night at 8pm while we were driving home. I have been in so much pain today, the Tylenol was just not knocking it, most of the pain is in my back, my belly is not painful except for those intermittent moments my belly muscles spasm. I think pain also makes me cold, actually set my house to heat today but at 10pm today I gave up. I had not slept most of last night or today the muscle spasming was increasing. Took half a Percocet and half Valium.after about an hr I added another half Percocet so am feeling okay now. Did not add the Valium am already itching from that half pill. Tomorrow we drive to MD,I will stay with my mum up there for a while. To give my husband a break and mostly because his training schedule is getting really hectic now.they have moved his deployment to July 21st, am glad he won't miss the kids birthday this year. Updated on 18 May 2015: First photo post drains Updated on 18 May 2015: Updated on 19 May 2015: Still from last week right after last drain removal. Still very swollen hence the weird curve I hope it goes away if it doesn't am Confident Dr K can fix it. Having trouble with my belly button not healing, for now just triple antibiotic and a band aid looks like it's drying except for one spot that hurts and still looks wet so will see how that goes. I feel like I may need it revised. It looked so nice and tiny now it's widened because of the issues with healing again will see. Am doing well,overdid myself today trying to run around withmy young ones myself without their nanny, that didn't end well ended up taking both the Percocet and Valium tonight , I had been doing okay on Tylenol. So maybe they still need a nanny. The scar cream they gave me works wonders honestly this stuff is magic . I do use it in conjunction with the scar away silicon strips just for scar support feels better with something holding it. Tomorrow will be my first day out of the medical garment into the full compression garments. I was told to wait 4-5 days after last drain pull to wear one. I hope it helps with the swelling in my lower back and hips especially.i can tell the swelling is going down but slowly. Very tired today I can definitely tell I ran after two kids. It takes longer to fully recover than I thought. I will upload better photos soon.oh and they got a stitch out of each side of the incision at the hip that would not dissolve.painless.dug around my belly button a bit, not painful but felt weird . Really hope my belly button turns out well. :( Updated on 19 May 2015: Updated on 23 May 2015: The full body compression suits I got from Amazon are definitely helping with the pain, I think a lot of the pain I was having was from all the water retention, my sides are starting to look better. My belly button is finally healing and I definitely don't think a revision is warranted and for my sides either.i think for my sides really it's just the fluid retention, and for my belly button I am pretty sure it was spitting a stitch.why am I sure?because there is one sticking out the side that was more raw,am afraid to touch or pull on it but since the day it popped out my belly button healed and went back to tiny again like it was when we first took out the antibiotic gauze. :) My next appointment is on Thursday, I really want to go in person so I have been trying very hard to stay off the Percocet. My husband has pre deployment stuff he is doing so he can't get off work that day.I hope I will be able to drive myself if not I will have to arrange for a Skype appointment. I really want to talk to Dr Kortesis about the possibility of prescribing a short term diuretic. I don't know if that is possible but I feel that the only reason I need pain meds right now is the fluid retention. The fluid retention in my lower back is also quite possibly the only reason I still have to hunch over, straightening up hurts at the back not belly. The compression garment is helping a lot but my body has always been one to take its time moving fluids along. After my csections especially with the first I gained 20lbs in water that took 2 months to come out!! Don't know if it was a side effect of the magnesium (liquid fire!!) for the pre eclampsia.plus I do gain 10lbs every month a week before flo! Which by the way is completely late like over 10 days. Not that am complaining. I got the faja compression garment with bra off amazon. Word of advice start with the side closure one if you have a fleur de lis.am still using the side closure one. I bought the one with the clips at the front and besides feeling too small at the thighs they really hurt my vertical incision. Order a size up from what the size chart says.its about $150 but it has taken my swelling down and my pain med usage down. I can do with just Tylenol on most days but if I have to be in a car for an extended period of time or walk too long over do myself then I have to take the Percocet and valium. Oh and with the side closure one I find that it digs into your ribs and the clips under the zipper hurt my belly so I cut the bands off my pre op compression band and use that under the clips and under my boobs so the top band doesn't irritate my incision. My incisions are getting pencil thin already, the scar stuff they give you is fantastic. Even my sides have stopped puckering and are almost pencil thin.the T junction is almost non existent only part still wide is at the very top of the vertical going down a few inches. I will still upload better pics just been very busy or passed out exhausted. Updated on 24 May 2015: Updated on 24 May 2015: The swelling is still there mostly on my sides and back a bit on my belly so hopefully that goes away quickly.i can't sleep tonight and I have no idea why. Updated on 28 May 2015: When I first sat at HK waiting room, I watched their intro video that shows Dr Kortesis being recognized for his efforts supporting the leukemia and lymphoma society. That first day I saw that video I teared up in the waiting room.... Why? He has impacted my life before I even walked into his practice. In October of 2008 my family immigrated here from Africa. My mom and I came in a month after my father. He had come in earlier so he could secure a job and find an apartment. When he picked us up from the airport he had a slight limp and attributed it to working long hours. 2 days later I convinced him to buy a new pair of shoes thinking that is why his feet hurt so much.3rd day we apartment shopped and signed the lease,on the 4th day he told me and my mom " I need to see a doctor" I about chocked on my tea because my father was never one to go to a doctor, he was never ill or would self treat. So when he said that my heart dropped , I knew he must be in dire straights to say that. We headed to the ER and they said it's just arthritis you are getting old slow down. We were glad it was nothing too serious. But by the next morning he had hematuria and could barely walk unassisted. We called on one of his friends who was hosting us at the time he came and drove us to the ER. So the 5th day of us being in the states was spent pacing the hospital corridors, several tests later they suspected Leukemia. I thought they were nuts, I suggested malaria, typhoid you know diseases that are endemic to Africa! On the 6th day he was transferred to University of Maryland medical center in Baltimore. On the 7th day is was confirmed as chronic myelomomocytic leukemia. I remember the day so vividly, the disbelief and most of all the look on my parents faces. See the plan was they would work and I would finish my Bsc in Psychology, I had been offered a scholarship at Johns Hopkins.I was a 2nd year student at University of Nairobi. They knew that plan had fallen apart,my mother cried but I could not allow them to see me cry. I formulated the game plan, I would find a job and my mother would stay with him to nurse him. I did not find a job until he was out of the hospital right on time for Christmas. I started working at a sporting goods store but even with picking up extra hours I did not make enough, his medications ran $400 a week, I made $700 every 2 weeks. On one of his follow ups I was handed a leukemia and lymphoma society packet to fill out. I filled it up thought nothing of it. A week later they sent us $500 check in the mail, and they continued doing so twice a month until I found a better job. That $500 may not seem like much but it meant the difference between him having his meds or not. We arrived in the states on 29th October of 2008,I was 130lbs, by February of 2009 I was 100-105 lbs. why? I sacrificed eating to save money so he would not lack,I would drink $.25c worth of ice tea from the vending machine at work and call it lunch. A year later he came off remission and it had spread to his brain, liver and lungs. It was now AML He passed away on March 19th of 2010. This past Sunday I had a bit of a setback I developed pain on my upper left abdomen and shortness of breath, I texted Dr Kortesis and he called me back in less than 2 minutes, told me to go to the ER. While there we texted back and forth the whole time, and at the end of the visit he spoke to my attending before I was discharged. Luckily enough all I had was musculoskeletal pain and several small kidney stones. But that just got me to thinking. He didn't have to do that,he didn't have to spend his Sunday texting and calling to make sure I was being taken care of but he did. Folks this is what you get at HK phenomenal people that excel not only as doctors but as individuals in society,they take you into the HK family and you are taken care of 100%. My appointment was initially to be Thursday (yesterday) but I asked if he could squeeze me in on Tuesday. He said yes you come in anytime I will find a spot for you. :) If PCMs were this available to their patients we would be golden. I am so glad I picked HK, I really could not go anywhere else. I am feeling better :) walked on the treadmill today. Dr Kortesis impacted my life before he met me and now he has done it again, giving me excellent results and care. My next appointment is on the 9th of June, I get the post op photos done then, so I will actually have better photos to show. Updated on 3 Jun 2015: Don't know why they told me at the ER that don't worry about those kidney stones! They can't be the source of the pain. Well I think they were wrong and I think they were the source. On my last appointment Dr. Kortesis prescribed lasix. Just for a week. And for that week I upped my fluid intake mixed my water with Gatorade and lemon powder to make it more palatable to me and things started to happen.i passed several kidney stones last week. Two of them hurt like hell to come out the rest were more not too bad then there were those that felt like sand. I have already talked to my PCM and got a referral to a urologist. The pain I was having went away after those stones came out soo that's why I wonder why they told me not to worry about it at the ER. Anyway I am doing much better now only reason I want to see a urologist is to make sure there are no more stones in there and possibly find out why they formed in the first place and how to avoid them forming again. I feel the lasix helped a lot forcing my body to push the fluid I was taking out instead of holding on to it and I think that's why the stones came out. Dr K to the rescue I should get this guy a cape and a chest emblem lol. Yesterday I felt good enough to go grocery shopping for 2 hrs, I was tired and hurting a bit by the end of it but am glad I was able to get out. Was also the first time I have driven myself since surgery. Can't wait for my appointment on the 9th. :) Updated on 11 Aug 2015: It's been a while, life has taken over. Got a new job in another state, husband deployed ... Moving was quite cumbersome but I finally have it together now. I have been doing great recovery wise. Had a bit of incision open up at the t junction at about 13 weeks post op but it closed up in a week. Honestly I think I overdid myself the week prior to that, learned to pace myself after that. I have gone back to jogging no weights yet but I try to make time to get out and jog everyday. My incision is fading away nicely, my left side where I had the most swelling post op has a wide scar. I started the endermologie treatments a bit early too I think, I noticed it widened a bit more on that side both times I went in . So am going to hold off on that just a bit longer.Am definitely sure I will need to do a revision on that side I don't like how it looks. I am yet to go for my 3 month post op, I should have but I was too busy and all over the place. I will be sure to go in before the month ends. I will upload some pictures tomorrow of how everything looks now. I can not begin to say how happy I am with how everything turned out, being able to shop for clothes I like and actually fit in them .am a size 6-8 now. My back is getting smaller and smaller every passing week.I still get swelling at the end of the day but not nearly as much as last month.Every week it's as if I gain some new strength. Where I can see clearly what I could not do last week I can do now. I can sleep on my belly now. :) not for long though but those few minutes are paradise lol, I have always been a belly sleeper. I will post pictures before end of tomorrow. Again if you are thinking of this surgery I would not hesitate to give Dr Kortesis a call. I will be using my 3 month post op as an opportunity to talk to him about a breast lift with augmentation and some Lipo on my arms and inner thighs.I would not trust another doctor with my body other than him. He did a splendid job. Updated on 3 Nov 2016: I have been absent from real self for a long time. I just read all the wonderful comments from fellow realselfers. Thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart.I was usually not one to pour my heart out but I am glad I told my story. I still believe , 100% believe Dr Kortesis and his team surpassed my expectations. So much so that I am now trying to plan for : breast lift and maybe augmentation , arm lipo with maybe minor armpit incision and thigh lipo. I hope I can get this done in the next 6 months, I have some downtime at work , I can finally take a vacation. :) My scars have healed very well, pencil thin in most areas. The area right at the top of the vertical incision is a bit wider and I think that just comes with the area of the scar. I might ask for a revision on that and the widened scar on my left horizontal incision. I am very HAPPY with my results, I could not have asked for a better team.I will update again once I get my consult for the procedures above and a date :) Ps: I lost my pass key/link for the in office before and afters :/ .... my mind was very scattered during the move. Hopefully I can get it again when I go in next.
I went to a number of doctors in the Charlotte area (where I live) and Los Angeles (where I work) for consultations on a fat transfer procedure. I met with Dr. Bhati at HKB. He was clearly knowledgeable and I have no reason to think he's not capable. However, I had consulted with highly regarded Beverly Hills surgeons already and was shocked at HKB's prices. They are 3X the national average. I had the procedure done in LA by a top doctor (so happy!) at literally half the price of HKB. I think that the Charlotte market is growing but that there is not enough competition to get real market rates. Moreover, I think there are many surgeons in the area who are at least as qualified as HKB but they are just savvy at marketing. Personally, I want a doctor who cares more about the end results and about me...I'm willing to pay above market rate but I don't want to be taken advantage of. Until there are a few more surgeons in the area who (and I hate to say this) invest in the social media marketing, then HKB will continue to charge absorbitant rates. Ugh. NOT FOR ME.
The actual talk during my consult with Dr. Kortesis was extremely short (less than 10 minutes). The cosmetic information about lip augmentation that I received from this doctor was insufficient, very vague, and not at all specific to my person/face. Most importantly, I asked Dr. Kortesis, to show me some pictures of his work on lip augmentation, and he told me that he did not have any handy at the time of my consult (??),...... but that he would make sure that some pictures be emailed to me by his staff later on. Unfortunately as of today, 52 days later, I haven't received any pictures, nor have I received any emails, or correspondence of any kind from HKB Cosmetic Surgery. Note that the consult with Dr. Kortesis cost me $200, which I had to pay in advance, in order to get an appointment a month later, and frankly, I feel that I was not given the service I paid for (not even close). My insight about lip augmentation that I had before my consult, is exactly as incomplete, fractured, and fuzzy, as after my visit with Dr. Kortesis. As of today, I can honestly say that the whole experience left me feeling frustrated and undervalued as a client and a person. Frankly, after such a consult, I can't help but ponder about, how I would have been treated during and after an actual cosmetic surgery at this facility. Therefore I cannot in good conscience recommend H/K/B Cosmetic surgery to anyone.
Sorry you have been having trouble. there are some patients who have had similar symptoms to you that seem to feel better when their implants have been removed many of these patients wish to also have the entire capsules removed with a total capsulectomy also sometimes termed em bloc. Regarding your breasts after implant removed , you may want to consider a lift at the same to time to lift your breasts and give you a perky natural look. Some patients of mine elect to have simultaneous fat grafting as well to give the volume restoration and better shape. Hope this helps
Always best to voice your concerns to your provider I typically remove upper eyelid sutures one week after the procedure Good luck
Looking at your photos it looks like you would be an excellent candidate for liposuction combined with fat transfer!
Always best to consult with your surgeon. Looks like the skin is irritated and likely macerated which means kept too moist. Sometimes patients can take a break and keep the strips on majority of the day and take breaks so the skin has time to breathe and dry. But discuss first with your surgeon.
Each provider will have their own custom post surgical care and instructions that you need to follow closely. I would defer to your surgeon. In my surgery center all patients have scds on the legs during any surgery with anesthesia. My patients will wear compression stallings after surgery. Good luck.