As the largest practice of its kind in the United States, New York Plastic Surgical Group, a Division of Long Island Plastic Surgical Group is among the most well-established plastic surgery practices in the nation. Founded in 1948, New York Plastic Surgical Group offers compassionate and comprehensive care through the collective medical experience of its specialty-trained surgeons.
I received Microneedling / Vampire facial in September 2018 by a well known plastic surgical group on Long Island NY, LIPSG. I was treating 2 scars on my cheeks with microneedling and PRP. The PA Lauren Montmayor used the deepest needle setting 2.5mm. I had the procedure done twice. My result was more scarring, more lines, more wrinkles and absolutely awful orange peel texture. Makeup makes it much more noticeable. I am devastated!
I am currently 7 hours out and on meds. I haven't written intil now bc i honestly had so much anxiety about the prospect of going under for 5 hours I thought logging about it would make it worse. What i had done: tummy tuck (with short scar technique) breast lift (no inplant) and lipo of the flanks. I chose not to do implants because i just didn't want anything placed in me. I also LOVED Dr. Reish's after pics of plane ole breast lifts. His work is beautiful. I was scheduled originally for the 30th of december but because of an abnormal mamo i had to reschedule (calcification, no big deal but had to be handled). So - the day of surgery- I arrived an hour before ,changed into surgical gear, and sat to wait to meet with the anesthesia doc and surgeon. The anesthesia doc was from GAS and was super nice and informative, as well as reassuring. He told my husband and I a few moments later that we could call if we had any qs or concerns post op. Next up was my surgeon. He came in all smiles and the most relaxed I had seen him (i believe he truly loves what he does). He also told my husband that he could call any time day or night post op. The hubs left for my being marked up. During that process I was so impressed with his method. He was so focused and thorough. It was awkward.. for me...but his focus kept me from feeling any more than that. I was walked across to the surgery room (it's AAAAAAAA- SOMETHING accredited) and told to lay down. The anesthesia doc hooked me up right away.... ....And then i woke up...so groggy and achy and Nurse Nancy was trying to dress me and the hubs was there waitimg to take me home...surely i had more time to rest. Right? I mean...walk? What? No! I literally asked if i could wait longer and closed my eyes, lol. But alas, i could not. Surgery was 5 hours and inhad recovered for 2 my time was UP. So she dressed me up (compression garment had already been on prior to this) and wheeled me out. The hubs said I said goodbye. No clue. The ride home was a literal blur but i remember hubs pulling aside a few times to let cars pass. At home- longest walk upstairs EVER. I don't remember much for the next few hours after painfully sitting in my nursing recliner with an egg crate cushion . Slept for an hour.Updated on 28 Feb 2017: The first night- in and out of dozing. At some point my PS texted me to see how I was doing. The kids each came in to see me. Going to the bathroom was a humbling experience. Because of the BL I couldn't really clean myself. My hubs and I laughed as he helped me with that one. Walking to and from the bathroom was rediculous. And MAN was i exhausted when i got back to my chair. The drains (2) are just above my pubic area. The drain tube incisions burn when i move. Stinks. Keeping up in the oxy every 4 hours. The hubs fell asleep next to the chair in the bed. At some point i passed out and woke up at 5am. One of my drains may be clogged? Milking them as needed. Guess that happens I will say this I have has 2 c-sections and this is waaaaaaaay worse. Happy I did it. LolUpdated on 3 Mar 2017: Day 2 and 3 post op days were just a blur of no real sleep, only cat naps in a recliner, an allergy to oxy and a subsequent switch to dilaudid. Then one of my kids sprains her ankle. Thank heavens for my mother because the hubs was overwhelmed with school lunches, getting them to move in the morning and cleaning the house before going to work. Then everything when he got home...it was what I needed. He was exhausted. The pain remained intense between doses so at a bleary 6 am I asked my PS via text if I could add tylenol and when he gave me immediate permission I finally had the pain bridge I needed to start walking around. It addressed that "across the stomach" burn. That is the worst part for me frankly. Reminds me of the two c-section recoveries. I also feel burning when I have to pee (also like with the c- sections). And an fyi the pain is WAY WORSE than a c-section. Tomorrow is post op appt.Updated on 3 Mar 2017: 4 days po. Saw the plastic surgeon today. He was very pleased with the results. His before and afters are amazing so I have faith. They removed my cushioning and padding from under my binder and shaper bra. They looked at me and assured me that I would not look like the bride of Frankenstein for long. (Well I thought that as they said that at two months I would be very happy indeed). I refused to look at myself for several minutes as I was afraid I would be upset with the carnage...have to say when I took a peek I was impressed with the work. Dr. Reish uses a shortened scar technique so my tt scar goes from inner hip bone to hip bone, and lollipop on the breast. Also lipo on my flanks. So I was sliced and diced and put back together. With skill and finesse mind you but....well..there is no denying it happened. Dr. Reish was quick and concise with his review of his work. I again noted the true joy he takes in his work. He stated with a smile that he was looking forward to seeing the results and that he was looking forward to showing me the before and after shots.Updated on 4 Mar 2017: Day 5 post-op. So to say sleeping on the recliner is torture is an understatement. I have a tempurpedic(bed) that is just there next to me...mocking me, too. Every few hours which is about how long I can actually nap! I have been massaging my butt cheeks to assure blood flow in the areas squished beneath me when i am sleeping. Gave myself another sponge bath. Ouch. But I felt better. Hubs took care of the kids. Used the heating pad after on the recliner and passed out for a bit. Overall I feel like I ran a marathon after walking up and down the stairs each once. Still haven't had a bm but I am tooting so that's something. Added milk of magnesia to the Daily dose of 3 Colace I have been taking with no results.Updated on 5 Mar 2017: Po day 6- I'm running out of dilaudid AND i havent pooped....so i am going to taper off I guess. Extra strength tylenol in the immediate morning, which has been 5 am since surgery and then at 9am dilaudid try to just have one more dilaudid near bedtime. The problem isnt just being sore, it like...they rippled your skin off andnits trying to reattach pain. I dont even feel the actual incision. And now that they removed the large maxipads from under my bra the soft bra is landing right on top of the stitches under my boobs. So every move is a burn and a pull. Makes for a cranky mommy. The dilaudid and tylenol knock the pain, me and my gi track right out....so i have to do something to get the bowels moving and if 3 colace a day and a dose of MOM wont work...what am i to do? Impaction scares me , lol. On another note i coughed yesterday. If you can at all avoid that please do. I think i went blind for a second the pain was so excruciating. It doesn't appear i popped anything as nothing is buldging but I was walking more hunched over again after that so I supose I definately aggravated the muscles. Slept more last night.My Butt still fell asleep, but got about 5 consecutive hours in. Maybe even 6? There is a drugged overtired haze u enter in all this that reminds me of my post-c breastfeeding nights...Updated on 6 Mar 2017: So post op day 7. Gave myself over 14 hours without narcotics and as a result i am happy to say i had my first BM yesterday. Unceremonious as it was, i was over the moon emotionally. I did too much yesterday eith kids school projects and refereeing the kids a bit that I am paying for it today. Hard to hold myself up with my overtaxed back, lol. So it's movies and a heating pad in between walks around the house for me today. Going a little stir crazy but too unconfortable to care, lol. Drains come out this Friday and i am so psyched to be unattached to these things. The girls are swollen and was SO grateful for the maxi pads the hubs picked up...shoved yhem right up under the band of my bra. And because of the way they design the rip off tabs of the pads nowadays not only did i have to leave the crinkly piece of paper, little bits of peach plastic are also still attached. I am a VISION! I do like my cleavage tho....Updated on 14 Mar 2017: So officially 14 days post op. Sorry for the break. I had one drain removed at post op day 11. Before I continue let me speak about the drain removal. First I took a dilaudid and a tylenol an hour before...I am a pain wimp and knew it would hurt. So back to the pull... So the doc told me to stand in front of the little chair so he could pull it and I could sit down if I needed to. Ladies! I grabbed the doctors (very expensive) shirt and suit sleeve..clenched it,....and stared at him. He was telling me what he was going to do...but I knew he was just distracting me....and pulled. I believe I said mother f^&ker.....or even fu....the pain was BLINDING. I apologized....tears in my eyes. Only one drain...dreading the second. Maybe I will drink first. Lol In general my mood was up and down the second week. Have read that this is normal with TT. I also wonder regarding hormones and lipo in regards to levels, etc. Crying, moodiness, my period came (Yay, Another leak) my back was killing me, my tush numb from sitting. Then elation from having my hair washed by my husband was a highlight. I also left my bedroom and hung out down stairs on the couch. Medication- at about post op day 11 I also started using the narcotics in the afternoon with tylenol (regular strength! 2-3 pills) during the morning. This has now progressed to 3 tylenol upon waking then 2 pills every 5 hours. Narcotics at 9pm and then one dilaudid also did one tylenol at 1am. Sleep accomodations- still sleeping in the recliner. I now hate it. My plan is to move to the bed after the second drain comes out. I have yanked on the tube some many times I just don't want to risk anything while sleeping. So at day 11 post op when my doc removed the one infamous drain he suggested that I buy biocorneum plus to apply to my scars. The thought of touching my still scabby wounds leaves me queasy, BUT if it diminishes them....I am all for it. Not cheap at $90 a bottle...it's a silicone cream that protects and smooths the scar. Did a little research and you should too regarding the various silicone products. Just a note as I was trying to find it cheaper....ONLY doctors are licenced to sell this product. I emailed the company and they confirmed it. I am also eying scar away c-scar strips for when I run out of the serum. So anywho I started to use the lotion and I am already noticing that he scars under my breasts areas really softening. My ps also stated that it is not abnormal and I should not be alarmed if I discover an opening under the breasts at the crossing of the anchor mark. The compression bra is killing me, am using gauze pads under the band that hits the anchor line. Helps a little. So next is the second drain removal as it has been under 30 cc per day for the last 3 days. Crossing fingers tomorrow is when that can happen.also have some clear stitches sticking out in the breast and tt that I will bring to his attention. Not sure if he would cut them. Will add some photos soon.Updated on 15 Mar 2017: The second drain is OUT! Sorry if the pic is too graphic...but all that white bit was in me. I screamed but didn't curse this time so that was good right? My husband got lightheaded, lol. The doc then removed those stitches that were sticking out and he spotted a left over staple in my tt scar and apologized as he pulled it out. He began to explain the process that he used the staple for when yanking down my skin in surgery but the hubs couldn't handle the explanation as he turned white. I may ask for more details on my next follow up. He said that there was one permanent stitch under each breast...which he will remove in a week. I haven't looked under there...the breasts. It is crusty (sorry) and numb...like my belly button and it is just ...well it's just hard to touch something that can't feel. Completely freaks me out. The ps said to stick with the bicorneum and to start showering and that I can rotate motrin in.Updated on 16 Mar 2017: My middle child woke up with croup at 2am and had strighter (when they are barking when they cough and also not breathing in well.)Husband works nights...had to call 911 as I had no steroid and he kept crying making his coughing and breathing worse. It's these moments when I am so debilitated that I need others to step in that scare me about the healing process. Had to call my mil to follow the ambulance and the hubs had to come home from work. I just sat and cried after the ambulance left. Felt useless and weak. This recovery is no joke. Thank heavens for family.Updated on 18 Mar 2017: So here i am, 16 days out...still a little hunched. Its my third day taking a shower...each day i have more stamina. I am prett much off the narcs. Only tylenol, i was a little too brave yesterday and had my girlfriend over, so i missed my afternoon nap, lol. I was a little constipated.....and you can't push ladies...so again keep the colace or whichever stool softner u prefer...going for a bit so i was also uncomfortable. My friend bought our kids pizza and salad and she started lecturing me on what i should eat now and that i should watch the sugars even in fruits and vegetablea and....yadda yadda. I smiled and nodded as i will not be ruining my investment NOR do i want to repeat the procedure. Frankly i just cant fit that much food in my belly now. Between the muscle tightning and binder...i get full quick. I know she was coming from a very good place....but i just really didnt need the lecture. But back to my energy level.....its getting better, but having a lot of activity going on around me is still not that pleasant. At 9pm i just started yawning in my poor friend's face. The hubs went out to a St. Pats party that we were both invited to. After she left (10 pm)and my husband left i was literally shakey and i realized that i had last taken my tylenol at 1pm so i took a dilaudid and a tylenol, got the kids to bed, slapped a heating pad onto my recliner and passed out for an hour til the hubs came home...i felt SO much better....but then had trouble falling asleep...lol. It amazes me how far i have come...i mean the pain is still there, but WOW our bodies are amazing.Updated on 19 Mar 2017: Swell helll has arrived. Ugh. I also returned to work today which I was excited about! Down side is I sit a lot so my ankles were all swollen. Back on with the support hose. Lol. I added photos and hope they post this time.Updated on 22 Mar 2017: So I had an ephinnay as I thought I was in my 4th week po but have just realized I was in my 3rd. I feel less wimpy now, lol. Saw my PS who is thrilled with the results so far. He removed anchor stitches under my breasts and trimmed some that were popping out. He stated that I was out of the window so to speak for opening stitches etc. Happy about that! Everything is slowly becoming less achy. As such I am slowly taking fewer and fewer tylenol. I am walking straighter which is nice for my back. Swell he'll has arrived a bit however so I am trying to figure out how to move from my binder to some sort of spanx item.Updated on 24 Mar 2017: Swollen. That is how i feel. I started driving yesterday....not far and not to do much, but it felt good to get back to the land of the living. Saw friends at school pick up and a girlfriend came over and we chatted. Today took my kids to a bithday party. Didn't move much, lol. But i am standing up straighter. Tomorrow i am helping with a run. Should have just said no...but i will be sitting. Then home to take it easy as i have to work Sunday. Still moving slow, lol. Driving like a grandma...and oh! Did i mention swollen?? But happy with the results. :)Updated on 30 Mar 2017: So i am currently walking upright, maybe a bit bent after sitting. So far I am very happy with my scars guess the bicorneum is doing its job. The PS told me my nipples would even out and raise up on the breasts a tad. He also stated that they may not be dead on exact. I completely accept that. My tummy is Very swollen. When I touch it it feels like dead flesh, lol. So weird. I LOVE my belly button. He creates it without that plug hole technique. Its pretty amazing. My flanks are numb in spots where they were lipo'd ...but smaller so I will deal with the numbness. I am having that zinging pain on occasion everywhere...so that makes me happy...means things are reconnecting. I feel good for 4 weeks po! Looking into a spanx type body suit.....any suggestions welcome!Updated on 3 Apr 2017: Beginning of week 5! Hard to believe how much time has passed! So I got my period this weekend and all the expected bloat from that. I am so over the swelling, just hoping it goes away soon. I have a very nice energy level at this point and am getting better each day. Every once and a while I forget and reach too far and a nipple hurts, lol. The kids have taken over my bed at night as the husband answered my oldest's questions about Freddy Kruger. I think tonight will be my first in-the- bed night....my sleep routine is so warped right now. I see the ps this Friday. Not sure if he will do anything about the dog ear yet. I am guessing he will want to wait til I am over the swelling. It's fine with me. I am now regretting not taking a pic of myself marked up as I find it crazy that everything below my old belly button was removed. Any suggestions regarding swelling?
Thank you for your question.
Every surgeon is different when it comes to post-operative care, so it is important to ask these questions. It is certainly reasonable to undergo a cosmetic procedure without the use of opioids if you are concerned. With my patients, I use a long-acting nerve block called Exparel which tricks the body into thinking you didn't have surgery for up to 72 hours. Most of my patients are able to get by with just using extra strength Tylenol. If something of additional strength is needed, medications such as Tramadol can be prescribed. I recommend speaking with your plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns.
With breast augmentations in patients who are very active like yourself, I recommend placing the implants above the muscles. This will reduce the implant shifting into the axillary region as well as the pectoral muscle animation. I recommend speaking with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options.
Based on the photos provided, I believe that liposuction to your flanks would give you the snatched, hour-glass figure you are describing. I recommend speaking with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options.
With any breast implant procedure, you can expect discomfort and swelling intermittently within the first year. New activities such as upper body workouts, laying on your stomach, and even coughing can cause a short period of additional discomfort as the pectoral muscles are working with the added tension of the implant depending on if the location is above or below the muscle. If you are experiencing extreme discomfort, I recommend speaking with your plastic surgeon about your concerns.
With the coverage of a panniculectomy, you would need to cover any additional surgical time, cost, etc. I recommend speaking with your plastic surgeon to discuss your options and cost.