INTRO
I decided to document my experience in the spirit of the incredibly reviews which all the other RealSelf users have taken the time to write. If it weren't for their candid and detailed reviews of the procedures and recovery, I never would have been brave enough to go through with the procedure.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or for support.
BOOKING THE PRE-CONSULT
I spoke with Vanessa over the phone to make this appointment. She explained that Dr Joseph Ajaka ('Dr A') was away for a few weeks but that the other doctor, Dr Frank Fascietti ('Dr F'), could see me in the next few weeks for the initial consult and would in any event be the other doctor present and assisting during the procedure.
I don't know whether anyone else felt like this when they booked their initial consult, but part of me thought I would never really go through with it.
In the end I decided to wait a bit longer for the appointment so that I could meet Dr A. Vanessa was very supportive of this idea and booked me in.
PRE-CONSULT - 22 SEPTEMBER
I arrived a little early for the appointment and was kept waiting for a little while. Dr A was coming in and out of reception, having seemingly just finished a procedure. I started to get a bit worried when he came in the last time in plain clothes and seemed to say goodbye to the staff. Dr F then brought me in to the consult room and explained that he would be doing the consultation. I explained to him that I had specifically made the appointment for a day when Dr A could do it. He asked why and I explained that I was not comfortable booking in for that sort of procedure until I had a sense that I could communicate with the person who would be performing the procedure. To Dr F's enormous credit, he was really understanding and excused himself straight away. He came back and confirmed that there was in fact a note on the file that Dr A was to see me, and minutes later Dr A re-appeared. Dr A didn't seem exasperated or rushed at all - even though he was about to get on a plane to New York that night or the next morning. He apologised for the miscommunication and the consult went ahead.
It was very comforting and reassuring that the hiccup was dealt with so professionally and patiently. Even though in hindsight it wasn't strictly medically necessary for Dr A to be at that consult, it was a strong symbol of the Clinic's commitment to customer service that they arranged for him to return to meet me.
In the consult I explained what I wanted, namely the tapering of my outer thighs - which were very dimpled and uneven with cellulite - and removal of the banana rolls and some of my low-hanging buttocks. I also said I was thinking that once that was done, the inner thigh might look bigger than it was now, i.e. out of proportion with a slimmer profile on the outer thigh.
Dr A was honest about the likelihood of achieving the results I was after. He was confident that I would achieve a good result on the outer thigh and banana roll, but pointed out that I already had a straight line on one of my inner thighs and cautioned about taking too much fat away and leaving indentations. He suggested I might consider continuing with CoolSculpting on the inner thighs, instead. He also seemed cautious about the amount of fat he would remove from the buttocks.
It felt that the consultation was a good mix of my own preferences tempered by Dr A's advice concerning realistic outcomes. Dr A and Dr F were personable and professional throughout. I never felt that they were giving me the hurry along and they answered all of my questions. Even though much of the information I wanted was available on the internet (I had done some research), in that moment one really needs to hear it from the person in who's hands you will be. Both doctors patiently explained the recovery process including downtime from work and sport, the level of pain relief necessary and swelling and the after care.
I left on that day with two quotes, one including and one not including the inner thighs, feeling like the procedure was a real possibility and in any event feeling most impressed by the professional and support staff at the clinic.
More updates and photos to come.
I decided to document my experience in the spirit of the incredibly reviews which all the other RealSelf users have taken the time to write. If it weren't for their candid and detailed reviews of the procedures and recovery, I never would have been brave enough to go through with the procedure.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or for support.
BOOKING THE PRE-CONSULT
I spoke with Vanessa over the phone to make this appointment. She explained that Dr Joseph Ajaka ('Dr A') was away for a few weeks but that the other doctor, Dr Frank Fascietti ('Dr F'), could see me in the next few weeks for the initial consult and would in any event be the other doctor present and assisting during the procedure.
I don't know whether anyone else felt like this when they booked their initial consult, but part of me thought I would never really go through with it.
In the end I decided to wait a bit longer for the appointment so that I could meet Dr A. Vanessa was very supportive of this idea and booked me in.
PRE-CONSULT - 22 SEPTEMBER
I arrived a little early for the appointment and was kept waiting for a little while. Dr A was coming in and out of reception, having seemingly just finished a procedure. I started to get a bit worried when he came in the last time in plain clothes and seemed to say goodbye to the staff. Dr F then brought me in to the consult room and explained that he would be doing the consultation. I explained to him that I had specifically made the appointment for a day when Dr A could do it. He asked why and I explained that I was not comfortable booking in for that sort of procedure until I had a sense that I could communicate with the person who would be performing the procedure. To Dr F's enormous credit, he was really understanding and excused himself straight away. He came back and confirmed that there was in fact a note on the file that Dr A was to see me, and minutes later Dr A re-appeared. Dr A didn't seem exasperated or rushed at all - even though he was about to get on a plane to New York that night or the next morning. He apologised for the miscommunication and the consult went ahead.
It was very comforting and reassuring that the hiccup was dealt with so professionally and patiently. Even though in hindsight it wasn't strictly medically necessary for Dr A to be at that consult, it was a strong symbol of the Clinic's commitment to customer service that they arranged for him to return to meet me.
In the consult I explained what I wanted, namely the tapering of my outer thighs - which were very dimpled and uneven with cellulite - and removal of the banana rolls and some of my low-hanging buttocks. I also said I was thinking that once that was done, the inner thigh might look bigger than it was now, i.e. out of proportion with a slimmer profile on the outer thigh.
Dr A was honest about the likelihood of achieving the results I was after. He was confident that I would achieve a good result on the outer thigh and banana roll, but pointed out that I already had a straight line on one of my inner thighs and cautioned about taking too much fat away and leaving indentations. He suggested I might consider continuing with CoolSculpting on the inner thighs, instead. He also seemed cautious about the amount of fat he would remove from the buttocks.
It felt that the consultation was a good mix of my own preferences tempered by Dr A's advice concerning realistic outcomes. Dr A and Dr F were personable and professional throughout. I never felt that they were giving me the hurry along and they answered all of my questions. Even though much of the information I wanted was available on the internet (I had done some research), in that moment one really needs to hear it from the person in who's hands you will be. Both doctors patiently explained the recovery process including downtime from work and sport, the level of pain relief necessary and swelling and the after care.
I left on that day with two quotes, one including and one not including the inner thighs, feeling like the procedure was a real possibility and in any event feeling most impressed by the professional and support staff at the clinic.
More updates and photos to come.
