“If you are going to do something, do it right” - Breast Augmentation - Seattle, WA

I just had a breast augmentation surgery with Dr. Karen Vaniver on January 25, of 2012. I found my experience with this doctor and her staff to be very pleasant. The doctor is amazing and her office manager Danielle is professional and knowledgeable. This review contains two parts: #1 is why I chose Dr. Vaniver and #2 is why I am 100% happy with my choice. I take my health very seriously, and so should you. My motto is: “If you are going to do something, do it right”. I did my research and I carefully and strategically selected my doctor. And now that I have experienced the care of Karen Vaniver, I feel that it is very important for me to pass this valuable information to other patients. Choosing Dr. Vaniver and as your surgeon is a wise decision that you will not regret, and here is why! Part #1: Why I chose Dr. Karen Vaniver as a surgeon to perform my breast augmentation. Before I selected Dr. Karen Vaniver to be my surgeon, I did A LOT of research on how to choose a plastic surgeon. My research contained reviewing numerous web sites, reading reviews and gaining extensive knowledge about major mistakes that patients make when choosing their surgeons. There are three critical aspects of choosing your plastic surgeon. They are: 1. Selecting a surgeon with proper certification. This is very important! When you choose your plastic surgeon, you must make sure that your doctor is certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgeons. The certification must include the exact wording. Some surgeons claim that they are board certified, but do not mention what board they belong to. There are many boards and associations, but there is only one American Board of Plastic Surgeons. You can find more info about the importance of this certification here: https://www.abplsurg.org/ModDefault.aspx?section=Faq#Q1. Dr. Karen Vaniver is certified by the American Board of Plastic surgeons (proper certification), which was one of the main reasons why I considered her to be my doctor. Needless to say, she has many other remarkable achievements and recognitions that you can learn all about on her professional web site. 2. Selecting a surgeon who specializes in the particular area of practice you are looking for. Dr. Vaniver has an extensive experience with breast augmentation, breast reconstruction, breast lift etc. Therefore I felt very comfortable with having her to perform a surgery on my breasts. She has a numerous before and after pictures of her work, all showing amazing results! After I looked through her “photo album” in her office I knew I was going in the right direction. Dr. Vaniver is very attentive to your needs. She will ask you what are your whishes, concerns and desires are. She will ask you what outcomes you are looking for. Then, she will give you her professional recommendation and will offer the proper treatment plan. If you are unsure about what you want, Dr. Vaniver will answer your questions and will help you to form your opinion towards the desired outcome. I was very unsure about the size of the implants that I wanted to get. Dr. Vaniver shared her professional opinion and her experience with other patients, which guided me towards making the right decision for myself. 3. Selecting a surgeon that has an access to a proper operational facility. This is also extremely important! You must make sure that your surgeon has access to and operates from a properly equipped facility. Most importantly, the surgery facility must be appropriately prepared for emergencies and case anything goes wrong during your operation. Dr. Vaniver performs her surgeries at the Seattle Surgery Center that has everything needed for safe procedure and recovery. It has a great team of professional anesthesiologists, register nurses and surgery assistants. Part #2: Why I am 100% happy with my decision. There are several important aspects that take places right before the surgery, during the surgery and after the surgery. They are: 1. The admission. The admission to the Seattle Surgery Center was simple and stress free. There are plenty of patients parking available in the parking garage. The staff is very comforting and professional. I’ve met with Dr. Vaniver in a comfortable admissions room to chat before the surgery. She gave me a hug and said she will take a good care of me! That alone instantly took the rest of my worries away. Then met with the anesthesiologist, who was also very friendly and professional. She walked me to the operation room and did her ”magic”. Zzzzzzzzzzzz *I must admit, I felt a bit scared of being “put to sleep” but in reality, it was much easier then I could have ever imagined! 2. The waking up and after surgery care. The recovery rooms are comfortable and the post surgery staff is very caring and attentive. I did not feel any pain when I woke up, because the Seattle Surgery Center specializes in after surgery pain management. You will feel very well taken care of and accompanied, but at the same time you won’t feel like you are being disturbed or bothered. They even make a curtsey call to your designated escort to let him/her know that you are done with your surgery and ready to be picked up! 3. The recovery at home. This is the part that I was also very nervous about. However, Dr. Vaniver did an outstanding job during my surgery; the procedure was performed accurately and truly professionally. I was supplied with the right pain management and infection preventative medications; and Dr. Vaniver gave me an excellent post surgery care instructions. I followed the instructions and took it very easy for the first couple of days after the surgery. I mainly stayed in bed and took lots of naps. That is all that was needed to ensure an efficient recovery. I hardly felt any discomfort and did not experience any bruising or complications. 4. The results. Best of all, I showed the “results” to my best friend over the Skype 3 days post surgery, and she was amazed by how great my breasts looked. She said that she always thought that it would take up to several months for a breast augmentation to look so good! On the last note, I am still recovering and just got my stitches taken out the other day. I look and feel great. I just really wanted to leave this honest review for my favorite doctor - Karen Vaniver.