Plastic Surgery Specialists - Marin

I chose PSS for my Neograft hair transplant and my experience with working with the doctors and professionals there was nothing short of life-changing. My only regret is not reaching out to them sooner!

The procedure itself, and my recovery afterwards, were exactly as carefully explained to me by my PSS care team. I could already tell after a day or two what a success it had been. I felt great the next day, was out and about by a week, and looked completely normal after 2. Julia, my stellar coordinator, went above and beyond, answering every question and concern I had along the way. I'm more and more thrilled with my results every day--I look and feel a decade younger, and even my friends can't put a finger on what I changed.

So my advice to you is that if you're considering Neograft--or really any cosmetic surgery--talk to PSS today. I did a lot of research on practices in California before deciding, so it was clear to me before I even walked in that Doctors Poulos, Hvistendahl, and Douglas were experts in their fields--probably the most experienced cosmetic team in Northern CA. And on Neograft itself, I can tell you: it's truly amazing how far this technology has come. Just take a took at Tom Brady and Elon Musk now vs. 20 years ago.

While my outstanding results alone warranted this 5-star review, what really inspired me to tell my story was the professionalism, courtesy, and earnest kindness that the entire PSS team brought to their work. I couldn't recommend them more highly and hope that many more have a chance to share my experience. Thank you PSS for making me feel like family!

I tried Emsculpt to strengthen and tone my legs. I am a big cyclist and wanted to see if Emsculpt could help strengthen my legs when I don't have time to get out and ride. The treatment REALLY contracts the quads, while the "tapping" afterward prevents soreness. I feel like my legs have gotten stronger after the treatment, and more defined. I will post photos shortly. It is a great solution for those of us with crazy busy schedules who want to keep up with our strong gang! I am returning to try the new biceps applicator.
The staff is great, really knowledgable, constantly check on you to make sure you are comfortable, and readjusting the strength of the pulses as needed. It was easy to chat, or just nap during the procedure. It is a crazy and amazing piece of equipment. I checked out Dr. Hvistendahl's results for abdominals and now I want that...

My experience from consultation to treatment was stellar. I first heard about the Genevieve treatment from a friend and wanted to see if it was available in my area. I searched the internet and quickly found Plastic Surgery Specialists offered complimentary consultations with a nurse that preforms the treatment and is knowledgeable in its benefits. Having a nurse the really understands my needs was a key as I felt I would get a better and more customized treatment and I was correct. Three months after having the treatment I am experiencing all the intended benefits and could not be happier. I would highly recommend PSS in Greenbrae.

This review is for the Genevieve vaginal rejuvenation procedure.
The office is beautiful and I was greeted with a smile. The staff is professional, knowledgeable and friendly.
I immediately felt comfortable and had no waiting time.
My practitioner Introduced herself as an RN. We went to the procedure room where we sat and reviewed the procedure and asked about my concerns and questions. I was having the procedure for “sneeze pee”, post menopausal dryness, lack of orgasm and aesthetically aging vagina.
This was 3 different treatment areas.
A wand was placed in my vagina and I felt a cool sensation but no pain at all.
The outer area was somewhat uncomfortable but not unbearable.
That same day I already saw a diffence in my urinary flow. I was amazed. No spraying or intermittent flow and no leakage. To good to be true I was thinking. Then 1week later I had sex and couldn’t believe it. No dryness, best orgasms in years. Really amazing.
It’s been 4 months and all my issues have been resolved. I feel sexy and amazing and my man is quite pleased as well.
Thank you PSS for a wonderful experience.

I avoided looking at myself in the mirror for a long time. Felt and looked so tired, and old! Did a lot of research on Plastic Surgeons, and chose Plastic Surgery Specialists (about 1 hrs drive away from my house). From the first time I met Dr Poulos and his team I knew I had found the right place to finally give me confidence to do something I have wanted to do for many years. I love my outcome/results. Its been 5 months now and every time I look in the mirror its like seeing myself again, only 10-15 years ago. Advice is do your research, understand and listen carefully on the pre and post of any procedure.. And listen to the Dr..in this instance Dr Poulos did know best!. I have to give a shout out to his team, from Renée in consultation, to all the ladies that I worked with through my recovery. They are a wonderful, kind caring team! Those guys made it so much easier...

Updated on 24 May 2016:
See pics

I always have felt so young at heart and enjoy people and meeting new friends. But when I looked in the mirror it wasn't how I felt. After visiting a long time girlfriend I found out she had a lifestyle lift and she looked GREAT. I decided, what was I waiting for! So I did some research and chose PSS, Plastic Surgery Specialists. And I am so glad I did. The facility is beautiful, the staff is the best! I feel like I have personal relationships with several of them now. Its wonderful to walk in and everyone says HI and know your name. They really care about your results and your satisfaction. I have continued with them now doing wonderful VenusViva treatments with great results. I HIGHLY recommend this place for any of your facial or body issues. They have all the latest equipment and everyone is highly skilled at what they do. I feel great and I think I look great too.

First, before I review my motivation and outcome...I would like to applaud this fantastic group of people working for Dr. Hvistendahl, at Plastic Surgery Specialists. Wow, these lovely women really care and go out of their way to accommodate any and all needs, requests and special favors. I am so impressed. And as far as Dr. H is concerned...he truly cares also. He took a long, patient time at our first visit...and then on consecutive visits gave me full attention and even called me twice at home to check on me.

I wanted to have my face match the rest of my youthfulness and body type. So, we did a quick lift and upper and lower eyelids. I am so thrilled with the outcome and it's not even a week later right now. I took great care of myself first few days...and that paid off royally. But Dr. H's skill and delivering the goods desired are the most thrilling to me. I look 20 years younger...and feel like an aligned woman now. as my small and young body type match the young face. I highly recommend this office and feel that the prices were comparable and also less than many other places. They aim to please and stand by you.

I had my breast implants removed in July of 2015.. just a few weeks ago. I never did feel comfortable with the implants so I decided to have them removed. I was a 34B prior to implantation and with implants grew to a 34D. I am 5"4 with a small frame weighing in at around 125lbs. I had them for almost 6 years. My recovery was amazing. No complications. i was back to work a few days later. First of all, I want to give Kudos' to the best plastic surgeon in Marin County , California. Plastic Surgery Specialists, Dr. Yngvar Hivistendahl. His staff is wonderful and very professional.he was very understanding in my decision to explant. If anyone is considering explantation I totally recommend Dr. Hvistendahl at Plastic Surgery Specialists. He is the best!

I am a very active person - exercising 5-6x wkly. However, I had stubborn fat deposits on my flanks, hips and inner thighs that just would not go away no matter how much I worked out.

During my initial consultation with Dr. Poulos (for a breast augmentation) I asked about adding on Smart Lipo to be performed during my surgery. He looked at my problem areas and confirmed that I would be a great candidate for Smart Lipo. We agreed that it made the most sense for him to perform this operation during my breast aug procedure, vs coming in at another time and going under anesthesia twice.

The day of the surgery came and went without any initial complications. I did experience severe bruising and "oozing" however - which is completely normal . . . not fun, but normal. My initial post op was positive - the Dr said everything looked great. However, it was all pretty vague for me - there was so much bruising and oozing that I didn't know what "good" meant, so I trusted the Dr and waited for the bruising to dissipate.

Before my second post-op, I noticed what looked like a chunk of my upper left buttocks was gone. There was still a lot of swelling, so I wasnt sure what exactly the issue was. During the second post op, I asked Dr. Poulos about the chunk and he said the area surrounding that "divot" was swollen, and that the pocket would dissipate as the swelling reduced.

By the time my third post op came around, the swelling was almost all gone, but the huge divot above my left buttocks remained. Not only that, but it looked as though Dr. Poulos performed my "Flanks" lipo about 3 inches too low - so there is a horizontal line across the top of my butt where it looks like the top of my butt -the "shelf" portion - is just gone. Because of this mistake, from the side it looks like my back goes directly into my butt - there is no curve at the top of my buttocks. It looks awful.

During the third post-op, Dr. Poulos agreed that there were "inconsistencies" with the result of his procedure, and recommended that I purchase 8 sessions of the Venus Legacy treatment (an additional $1800 fee, offered at no discounted rate) as this would completely resolve the issue.

After completing 6 of the 8 treatments, I saw absolutely no difference and requested to speak with Dr. Poulos again. He agreed that I would need to have a revision Smart Lipo/Fat Transfer procedure (an another unexpected cost of $1500 for the OR fee). This procedure is scheduled for June 16 of this year - exactly one year after my initial Smart Lipo surgery.

This has caused me a ton of anxiety and undue stress this last year. This mistake has created a horizontal divot in my backside between my lower back and my buttocks, causing underwear and bikinis to not fit right, causing them to "collect" in the divot. From the side, it looks like my back goes straight into my butt.

In total, I have paid almost $9000 for Smart Lipo to Plastic Surgery Specialists and have yet to achieve my desired results. I will keep you updated about the how my June 16th procedure turns out.

Updated on 16 Jun 2015:
Hi All-

If you were following my surgery, it would be important for you to know that today is the day of my revision surgery (i.e. lipo / fat transfer)! As you can see, my lipo procedure for my love handles and lower back was done too low and was uneven, at best. My hips have a large section missing (see left side), which will hopefully be "filled in" today. Also, my inner thighs were supposed to have some space in btwn - I see no difference from before my initial smart lipo procedure. That will be addressed today as well.

I decided to post images of my "before" (a.k.a. my today) and plan to post photos and updates along my journey of healing. Hopefully all turns out well! Will keep you all posted!