Reviews you can trust, from real people like you.      
How it works
  • Our highly-trained Review Moderation team evaluates all reviews before they're published to ensure they're written by people like you and not a member of a doctor's office.
  • This multi-step process takes up to 24 hours from review submission to publication.
  • Doctors can't pay to have reviews removed or hidden.
  • Reviews are only removed at the reviewer's request or if they violate our Terms of Service.

If you have questions or believe we should re-evaluate a published review, let us know.

Sort by:
*Treatment results may vary

1week and 1day

8 days out from my TT and breast lift. I am perfectly miserable. My back hurts so bad I can hardly stand up or move around. I’m out of pain medicine and only have 2 days of muscle relaxers left. I can’t to anything at all and I can’t stand it! And these drains are not helping matters. My abdomen is till very swollen. I’m earring my binder religiously. I see no sign of swelling going own at all. Right now, I hate myself for doing this to me! I’ll try post pics tomorrow. Right now I jut feel too miserable to do it.

Surgery 3/19

Traveled to Miami and had TT with Lipo to flanks and Brest lift with Dr. Mel Ortega on 3/19/18. I was originally ping o get implants but after discussing it with Dr. Ortega we decided to just do the lift for now. The initial post-op period was really rough. I went four hours after surgery with no pain meds because my support person did not get them filled while I was in surgery. After getting medication though, I felt pretty ok. I slept a lot. Next morning I went back for a follow up. I only saw a nurse that took my vitals and changed my dressings. I had a massage on Thursday. It was a little uncomfortable due o Lipo areas being tender, but it kind of felt good too. Fist I ent back for my follow up with Dr. Ortega. He said there was a pot that was dying due o insufficient blood flow and I needed a second surgery to cut that area out. So I spent 9 hours waiting at the office and then had a scar revision. They cut out he bad spot and also evacuated a hematoma that was behind it. The next day I saw Ortega again and everything was just fine. I have two drinks I have to keep for two weeks from second surgery. I’m wearing a binder until he drains come out and then will wear Faja supplied by my doctor. My pain is minimal until I try o move around much. I’m pretty stooped over and my back keeps cramping up when I try to walk around. I only have 3 pain pills left and Dr. Ortega will not call in for more. Hopefully I can get by with Tylenol for this back pain. My abdomen is still pretty swollen but I can already tell a big difference. My breasts look like they are 18 gets old but thy seem smaller. I think I will want those implant in the future.

Surgery scheduled

I have had 2 local consults and 2 in Miami. I'm still schef led for a consult March 3 at the UC Senior Residents Ckinic. I think I might just cancel that although I am curious to see what they would say. I have scheduled a Mommy Makeover with Dr. Mel Ortega at Spectrum Aesthetics in Miami on March 19th. I'm excited and nervous. Mostly I'm afraid I won't have enough money to get the entire Mommy Makeover. I had plenty of money set aside but had to dip into it to pay for care for a sick dog and some other expenses due to things beyond my control. So now I'm freaking out. I had a difficult time choosing between doctors. I decided to just go with my gut. I felt like my consultation was handled more professionally with Spectrum and I like that Dr. Ortea recognized the fact that I will need a longer incision (extended TT) to avoid any dog ears. The other surgeon never mentioned that. I definitely do not want to travel back to Miami to have to have dog ears fixed. Plus, I just had a good feeling about Dr. Ortega. I don't know why, but I believe in trusting my gut. Also they don't sell insurance to you in case you aren't happy with the results. To me, that says they aren't just trying to take your money. I guess that depends on how you look at that though. They said if I wasn't happy after 3 months, I could ask for a revision, no insurance needed. Kind of like a free warranty versus having to pay for a warranty. Any way, my credit sucks right now. I've been working really hard to repair it, but apparently it went down recently due to a medical bills reported to collections. I was never even billed for it and wouldn't know about it now if I hadn't pulled a credit report 2 days ago. Does anyone know a loan company for people with bad credit? I only need a few thousand dollars and I have cash for the rest. I'll try to post my embarrassing before pics because I'm hoping I have some amazing after pics to post. I'm 32 days away from surgery. At 30 days, I have to refrain from any alcohol. I don't smoke so that is no problem. They also said to start taking Floradix iron and a calcium supplement. I've already started the calcium. Floradix should be arriving by mail any day. They haven't told me what prescriptions I have to stop yet or what labs I need but hopefully I will find that out Monday so I can get that ball rolling. I have a beach side apartment reserved as I opted to forgo a recovery house. My daughters will travel with me and take care of me. I relish my privacy and want to be able to work some the last couple of days I'm in Miami so that seemed like a better option for me. It will cost me about the same as a RH by the time I pay for my own food, but at least it will be MY food. And we will have our own car. I started getting some anxiety over RH's and coordinating transportation and flights after reading reviews. I have some control freak tendencies. Maybe it's the nurse in me that is used to being the caregiver and directing and coordinating everything. Anyway I think the apartment I found on Airbnb will be better for me and my girls will be able to enjoy a little beach time as well. Plus I won't have to leave Miami without getting some amazing Cuban food. If anyone has suggestions for Cuban food in Miami, let me know!!!

Provider Review

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
51 SW 42nd Ave., Miami, Florida