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Nightmare - self-conscious doesn't even begin to cover it

ORIGINAL POST

Breast Augmentation Nightmare

VY0017
$16,000
I've been going back and forth for the last few years about whether to leave a review, but I had a truly awful experience with Dr. Kim, and no explanation or apology from him - so here I am. Now that I've had a breast revision surgery with a truly stellar surgeon, I understand that Dr. Kim is not the compassionate and skilled surgeon that he appears to be online.
I had my first breast augmentation with Dr. Kim not long ago. The consultation was cold and sterile, but I ignored the weird gut feeling (mostly because I was 19 and dying to finally have boobs).
The surgery happened as planned. I was on the road to recovery until one day, 4 months into recovery, my left breast became inflamed and began sagging. It quickly dipped to 1 inch lower than my right breast. The lower pole turned beet red — a telltale sign of infection — and my whole left breast was swollen and tender. If I accidentally tapped it, I'd be doubled over in pain. This was when I knew something was very, very wrong.
So I emailed him and told him what happened. He brushed it off and told me to check back within a week. A week goes by and I let him know the pain hasn't subsided, and in fact, is getting worse. He tells me to fly down to LA for an emergency implant removal, so I book a last-minute ticket and go in for emergency surgery.
I was in tears the second I woke up from the anesthesia. Anyone who's had a breast augmentation knows that you get attached to your boobs — they become part of who you are! — so of course, I was looking for some explanation as to what happened.
All Dr. Kim gave was a weak attempt at disclosing what really happened. He told me I got an implant infection, he had to remove skin on the infected breast due to necrosis, and I wouldn't be able to put them back in for 3 months. I sadly accepted this and scheduled my breast revision for 3 months later.
3 months later, I go in for my breast revision. When I wake up, I am BOTCHED. Absolutely botched. He chose to perform a capsulotomy (which means he left scar tissue behind — so of course I immediately developed another capsule). I've attached photos 1 month post-op — the scarring became worse over time, and they became very lopsided and uneven with downward-pointing nipples.
In a misguided attempt to fix the pain of an uneven and unpleasant appearance, I reached out to Dr. Kim for another revision surgery. He never answered my emails. (I later learned that a lot of surgeons won't take breast revision patients because the cases are more complicated, they take a long time, and the outcome is unpredictable... and they don't want to shoulder that liability.)
Honestly, self-conscious doesn't even begin to cover it. I felt ugly, and I could hardly look at myself in the mirror. And I was too traumatized to go back under the knife for a long time. So instead, I learned to camouflage my botched job behind push-up bras and bikinis and high-neck tops for years.
The craziest thing is that I didn't even realize what it was like to have a caring surgeon until I met my new surgeon, who managed to undo all of Dr. Kim's mess while also having stellar bedside manner.
I'd recommend that you think long and hard before moving forward with Dr. Kim. Everything is great until you develop a complication — then he disappears into thin air.
I'm happy to share about my experience in more detail - just reach out.

VY0017's provider

David E. Kim, MD

David E. Kim, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.5 | 168 Reviews
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Replies (5)

August 30, 2022
OMG! so sorry this happened to you. 3 Who fixed your breasts?
September 3, 2022
Thank you! Dr. Roger Tsai, he is amazing!
September 13, 2022
Thanks for telling us about your experience. I know how vulnerable and depressing it can be. I develop cc on my left breast after surgery and I was so devastated. I was considering dr Kim for a revision but I it too risky from his bad reviews.
October 5, 2022
Hi Christine - I agree, it's so disheartening to develop CC after surgery. Hope you're able to find a doctor who can give you the result you're looking for! xx
October 29, 2022
May I ask what your surgeon did differently to prevent cc and clean up the mess. I want to go with a doctor that's going to fix my cc
November 24, 2022
Hi Christine, he did a full capsulectomy. I developed CC again, and recently spoke to another surgeon. This one recommended doing 2 surgeries — (1) total capsulectomy and removal, then (2) another breast augmentation with fresh pockets for the best possible results. Hope this helps!
January 8, 2023
Who did your revision? Still looking for a trustworthy surgeon to fix my boobs. Thank you so much
February 15, 2023
DR. REVIS IN FT. LAUDERDALE, FL CAN HELP ALL OF YOU!!!! He is a master at breast implant surgery.
May 25, 2023
Hi, Dr kim did the same thing to me, one is lower than the other and the scar is coming out to the underboob showing, and i havent reached out to fix it cause he is so rude. The consultation he did the same thing and rushed me to just choose a picture from his ig.
im not sure if i read it right that you did 2 more revisions after dr kim? did you go to the same doctor? who do you recommend and how much was it?
June 10, 2023
That’s disgusting! I had the same thing with Dr Krau. Miami. Refused to help. Shirked all responsibility. Said he can’t help how body heals. Disgusting surgeons that do that to people. He was so arrogant and didn’t care one bit. Happy to take my money but that’s all it was for him. I feel your pain.