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POSTED UNDER Tummy Tuck REVIEWS

Single Mother Who Lost 70 Pounds (The Right Way) and Saved Money for Dissatisfied TT Results. Columbus, OH

ORIGINAL POST

He was nice, but the only time I seen doctor B was...

davken2July 13, 2015
$10,000
He was nice, but the only time I seen doctor B was the day of my consultation when he took pictures to submit to my insurance company. The next time I seen him was minutes before they rolled me into surgery. He came in to make an "X" above my belly button and another below while I laid on the cart. I felt like I was being rushed through an assembly line. Post-op surgery I was shocked to see "dog ears" and an incision line so high I started crying. I was told he should have drawn markings of his intentions directly on my abdomen as he explained the plan for my TT to me (prior to the day of surgery). I voiced my concerns right away and at each follow up visit after. He told me to give it a while to heal and allow the swelling to go down. I was nervous and upset but very very patient. When the result of waiting was unsuccessful, he told me to lose 10 more pounds (which would put me at a weight of about 145 #). I lost the 10 or 12 more pounds as he instructed still with no real significant improvement. He finally admitted that I would in fact need a revision. He said he could correct the problem for another $5,000. I am so hurt! I'm still unable to wear a 2 piece because of the dog ears and the high incision scar. However, that's the least of my worries. I Struggle daily getting ready for work. I can only wear dresses, skirts and tops that hang loose or have a high waist with a flare, otherwise the dog ears bulge out through my clothes. I also have difficulty finding pants/shorts that camouflage or hide them. I lost over 70 pounds 7 years ago and I've worked hard to keep it off. I eat right and my children and I live an active lifestyle after years of being overweight. $10,000 later im back to wearing a girdle everyday of my life to hide the results of my tummy tuck. Approximately $6,000 of that was my own out of pocket cost that I sacrificed to save a little at a time for years...yes years! I have no idea when I'll be able to come up with the money to have it corrected. I would recommend you take your swim suit with you to your first visit and on the day you have surgery. I would also recommend you have your surgeon mark exactly where he'll cut and where the incision will fall the first day you meet him. I'd also ask what happens if you'd need a revision and if there is a charge for the correction.

davken2's provider

Walter Bernacki, MD

Walter Bernacki, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

davken2 rating for Dr. Bernacki:

Overall rating
Doctor's bedside manner
Answered my questions
After care follow-up
Time spent with me
Phone or email responsiveness
Staff professionalism & courtesy
Payment process
Wait times

Replies (7)

Crystal_risingtide
July 15, 2015
This is horrible, i recently had a bad experience with him also when I said this is wrong he said are you a surgeon ?! And talked in circles, wouldn't let me finish a sentence,for 30 mins til I left
davken2
July 22, 2015
OMG!...So, I went to get my hair done today and my stylist was crying. She said she had a breast reduction this past May and her right breast had been eaten away by infection. She has lost her nipple and about 1/4 of her breast due to a large hollowed out tunnel where the infection is. She said her surgeon was insensitive and acted as if it weren't a big deal. When she lifted her shirt I couldn't believe my eyes! She said he stated " it's okay, we can tattoo you a nipple on later..." I asked who her surgeon was? When she replied "Dr. Bernacki" I almost wet my pants. This is so unfair for all of us. My heart aches especially for her and her husband, who she says is struggling with it as well. She's a young mother with small children. Her family doctor just started her on antidepressants. Because of the depression she said she's barely able to get out of bed and care for her children. She mentioned having a follow up appointment with him today. I hope he does better by her then he did by us. :(
Crystal_risingtide
July 22, 2015
Seriously! That poor woman! I hope she seeks a second opinion and took photos if I were her I wouldn't let him tattoo a nipple on the pigments they use are semi-permanent I have women call my shop often asking for us to retattoo nipples they've had done a few times already, you and her stories are definitely more extreme then mine I just went to have streched earlobes fixed in the tattoo industry I see it alot done well all over the country, he butchered mine I'm trying to find ways to hide my ears with my hair or wear bandaids when it's hot, I saw 2 other surgeons who said his approach to my ears is strange they would of done it the way i had agreed in my consult with bernacki who drew a diagram then didn't even come close to doing what I wanted, they don't even come close to matching, the other thing he said when confronted was "I didnt gauge your ears!" I couldn't believe it its a simple procedure, he either discriminated me for streched ears and tattoos or he really is just a bad surgeon, more people should know about
davken2
July 26, 2015
I told her to take pictures. I hope she will. Sounds like you have the daily chore if hiding his work as well as i. No one should have to live like this everyday. This is awful...
Crystal_risingtide
July 26, 2015
He's a butcher
Crystal_risingtide
August 31, 2015
What happened with the hair dresser?
jesseka31
March 23, 2016
Omg!! He just operated on my face I was in a accident and the air bag broke my jaw so when I first seen him he said looked at my X-ray from the ER and said I needed my mouth wired shut so I had my wire done the next day ok so he sends me home with meds told my boyfriend get it filled right away I go to the pharmacy and the pharmacist said that he saw I had perscription filled 2 days which came from the ER who referred me to him any way the pharmacist said I'll have to call your doctor mind you this is a hour after I left from being discharged he calls him and he tells the pharmacist to void my perscription so I dint get it filled and I only had like 2 days left outta the medicine I got from the ER. OK Now 3 weeks have passed and I go see him for a follow up and he's like ok we are gonna get ready to take the wires off he scheduled for surgery the next day to have them removed and 4 days later I'm back in awful pain I called and to see if I could get in sooner to see him and the receptionist said no and to go the ER if I really need to so I did and this was just last Monday I went to the ER who referred me to him in the first place they did a X-ray on my face and came back to tell me that my jaw is still broke and never healed even the ER doctor was wondering why he took the wires off so early and that the Minimum time was 4-6 weeks and he took the wires off in half that time the ER doctor even called the office to see if I could get in sooner and the assistant said he was on vacation ok now this past Monday I called the doctors office and they were able to get me in this Wednesday which is today but on Monday when I called I ask if they could call me in something for pain but of course she says there are no doctors in the office . I go to my appointment today and he tells me that he would have to put plates and pins in my jaw which is another surgery but wouldn't prescribe me anything for pain he soar that since I had already got a perscription form the ER he wasn't gonna give me anymore but it was only for 3 days worth and it was a week ago and told his Assistant to tell me to go to the ER I go to the one connected to the doctors office and I explain the story they call him and he pretty much was like my fracture was t that serious and I can treat it with otc meds but it's serious enough for you to do another surgery on it and to put a plate and pins in my jaw though I'm very dissatisfied with him as well was his staff and he doesn't have any bed side mananer at all I will never go back to him ever and it's hard now to get another referral to a different doctor cause no doctor like to go behind another doctors work
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