Flew from Canada to Miami to get my BA!

So here I am approximately 6 weeks post-op and loving my new boobs! I went from nipples, to boobs and they are AH-MAZING, I'm practically obsessed with them and my camera roll on my phone is 60% my own boob pics lol. I wrote a comprehensive review and I can't seem to delete my previous posts to make one long post, so just going to post my entire experience below this.
Let’s start from the beginning, this is probably the most comprehensive review, but I had to piece a lot of things together in my BA journey so hopefully this helps answer a lot of questions that you gals have when looking at getting your BA done in Miami!
To start, I’m 34 years old, have 2 little kids that I nursed, but now done nursing and getting my body into shape. I waited until after having kids to get my BA because I’ve heard women who did it before, nursed, and then had to get a revision anyways because of sagging, rippling, etc.
I’m 5’2”, 110 lbs, started off with about 32AA pre-kids, after kids I have zero boobs, literally just nipples on my chest!
I live in Calgary, AB, Canada and the cost of a BA here is $10,500 + cdn, ridiculously expensive in my opinion so that’s why I looked at traveling out to somewhere else to have it done. My husband works with an airline company so flight would be pretty cheap anyways. Pretty much anywhere outside of Canada is cheaper to get surgery done!
I looked at some surgeons in Utah, Vegas, and Miami, and due to price and reputation I ended up choosing Dr. Sergio Alvarez at MIA Aesthetics in Miami. Most of the pricing for the other places came to $5500 USD which is still a really good price! I found a lot of people didn’t list prices so here’s what I came up with with the Drs I was considering (in no particular order).
• Richard Fryer (Utah) $5500 USD
• Ary Krau (Miami) $5500 USD (private practice) or $3500 (CG Cosmetics) * only does surgeries here on Saturdays
• Sergio Alvarez (Miami) $2800 USD (on special, usually $4000 I think) * only does surgeries Mon-Fri
• Pat Pazmino (Miami) $6500 USD
• Tracy Hankins (Vegas) $5500 USD
• Bryson Richards (Vegas) $5500 USD
I had landed on getting my BA with Dr. Krau at CG Cosmetics because of his work, and the fact that pricing was super competitive. I’m part of a few BA groups on Facebook and one of the gals was post-op with Dr. Alvarez at Mia Aesthetics and her boobs were AMAZING! Her work actually won me over and I started researching more into him over Dr. Krau.
I love Dr. Krau's work, and I know that you should pick the best surgeon, but for what I need done I believe either surgeon will do a great job on me! And MIA is having a promo price of $2800 usd so I couldn't say no!
If you’re doing your research on plastic surgery, the best sites I’ve found are the FB forums, realself.com, and ratemds.com.
So just putting it out there, when researching on all those sites I found that a lot of people complain about the customer service at CG and Mia, the surgeons are amazing but the whole process could be improved. But keep in mind, you’re paying for a great surgeon, not necessarily great customer service, in a sense, you get what you pay for. With the private practices where the prices are more, you’ve got more pre and post-op care and “hand holding” if you will with your surgeon’s office. The reason why prices in Miami is so cheap is because of the amount of competition and these offices pump out surgeries like a mill, often people call it a “boob mill” which is totally true. They are fully booked for surgeries each day and don’t have time to provide awesome post-op care.
Aaanyways, on to my experience with Mia. I contacted them mid-February, when I called I was able to get through to someone right away, the deposit was $280 usd to hold my surgery date and from there I received the contract and other info. After booking my date I went to book my flights…low and behold the flights/days I wanted to take were the most expensive so I went to look at other dates for surgery based on my flights. I was able to get in touch with Michele (who coordinates the surgery schedule) to change my surgery date. I was also informed that they only change the date once, any other additional changes would be $500 usd, good to know!
After that I waited until 30 days before my surgery date (April 19) to receive my papers for bloodwork, etc. and they were right on time, I received a heads up phone-call to confirm my date, and then a day later I received an email from Alexa with the tests I needed in order to clear surgery. I had contacted Mia a few times by email prior to this date and it was a little harder to get in touch with someone than when I first spoke with them, and from what I hear, they get crazy busy around tax time and some people wait weeks on email correspondence. I ended up calling several times and finally got in touch with someone, and by the time someone emailed me back it was days after I spoke with someone on the phone.
So since I’m in Canada, the one test on the panel was called CMP (or Comprehensive Metabolic Panel – which by the way is not written on there), my doctor didn’t know what that tested so we Googled it and came up with testing for glucose level, and electrolytes. Just a heads up for those in Canada, the CMP doesn’t exist, I was later told by Alexa that it’s called the Basic Comprehensive Panel or Chemistry Panel in Canada, would have been good to know that in advance as I had to do two rounds of bloodwork and doc appointments in order to get cleared which delayed it by several days. So the CMP tests for glucose level, electrolytes, and liver enzymes (AST and ATL).
Once you’re cleared, you’re all good to go. I tried several times to call Alexa and she would only respond by email once a day, I also tried calling the main line several times (surgery booked, want to speak to a coordinator) but never got through, I needed to pay the remainder of my surgery fees, then I tried the option for new clients wanting for more info and got through right away lol. So if you’re in a pinch and need to talk to someone, try that way and hopefully it works!
Fast forward to my pre-op day, they call you the afternoon before your pre-op to let you know what time you need to be there. For your pre-op you go through the front doors when you arrive and you have to fill out a 14 page disclaimer (essentially) saying you waive your rights to sure in a courtroom, by arbitration only, etc. Once you fill out your paperwork you see a co-ordinator, they ask you what size [RS bleep] you want, give you your 3 prescriptions (Percocet – pain, Zofran – nausea, Keflex – antibiotiocs, you MUST take this one), give you an antibacterial soap (make sure you ask for one, JC gave me mine, but the other girl waiting didn’t get one until she asked) and try to answer any questions you have. You don’t actually talk about sizing nor do you try on sizers like some places, fyi. After you finish with your coordinator you sit and wait for someone in Finance just to make sure you’re all paid up and they give you some pre-op info.
Fyi, with Mia’s paperwork they say that they REQUIRE you to purchase a surgical bra through them for $55, this is not actually true! You can bring your own, they take a look and say whether or not it will work if you bring your own. This is the one I got (I actually bought mine through that Wish app because my Walmart in Canada doesn’t carry them), but Walmart in the US has the Danskin ones. I bought a M for mine and I wanted a full C cup or small D, I wish I would have bought the large as it does stretch, but is a bit snug. They also have bands you can buy at Mia for $10 to help your boobs drop after surgery.
Next day is the surgery day, they call you the afternoon before surgery day with your time. When I spoke with my coordinator she said that they usually give out earlier surgery times to those who have paid in full in advance, my surgery time was 7:00 am.
So I got to Mia at 6:30, went to the back room and waited and changed into some sexy surgery wear, they give you a bag with your name on it to throw all your clothes into, the anesthetist comes in shortly after to ask some questions, I asked if he could put Zofran or an anti-nausea into my drip and he said that’s not something they do but he could do it. The surgeon comes in shortly after that (I had Dr. Sergio Alvarez) and you discuss sizing and if you have any other questions, NOW is the time to ask! My goal boobs are a full C, small D to be proportionate to my body since I’m small, and I have almost no breast tissue, Dr. Alvarez said my max would be 475 cc but I asked if there’s a concern for rippling (the more your skin stretches, the thinner it gets) and he said there is the bigger you go for someone who has no breast tissue, so I opted for 450cc. He did say that it might not be exactly 450 cc because different implant manufacturer and styles have slightly different numbers, so a high profile teardrop 450 cc could be the equivalent of a high profile smooth 445cc and whatnot. He marks you up and writes down the cc number on your chest so there’s no mistaking what cc when he operates on you.
You move into an operating room and lay on the table, the anesthetist (not gloved – big debate on Facebook around this) puts an IV in you, gives you some oxygen, and then whatever general anesthesia and says “we’ll see you soon!” and you’re out within seconds.
You know how when you’re in a dream and you hear the alarm or music and you are aware of that before you actually open your eyes? That’s what it was like coming out of the anesthesia, very groggy and confusing. The bag of your stuff is right next to you so you can literally start taking selfies right away (I’m sexy right?), my shirt was already on and my pants were at my ankles and they made me put on my pants myself laying down. I was only wrapped in bandages and didn’t have my bra on as I was a bit “oozy” with blood. As I was getting oriented and by the time I could fully focus, it was maybe 10 or 15 min? They had already called my recovery house and I was ushered out onto a wheelchair and pushed out the door by 15 min. I had asked twice in that time if someone could write me a prescription for Reflex (or a muscle relaxant) and they said the doc would have to do that and continued to wheel me out lol…so that’s a no?
Fast forward onto my first post-op (which btw is around the back entrance, and it’s through an unmarked door, look for the door to the left of the two yellow parking posts, sketchy right? Lol). Dr. Alvarez came in to look at my boobs, look at the incisions and take off the bandage. At which point he says I can start to shower and massage my incisions (seriously? I just got those incisions yesterday!), my boobs were high so he said I should get the band and wear it for a week to start dropping my boobs and he proceeded to push them down for about 20 seconds, but said everything looks great so far, and when I come back for my last post-op I’ll see his assistant). You can ask any questions now too, other than that it’s a quick consult! Things that aren’t covered in the instructions Mia gives you
1) You don’t have to sit up sleeping, Dr. Alvarez said I can sleep on my back if I want just not on my stomach
2) I won’t need to massage my boobs until a week out
Post-op Day 1: How do I feel overall so far 1 day post-op? UNCOMFORTABLE. No pain, all I took was CBD oil no perc or Zofran, I haven’t felt the least bit nauseous and I get motion sickness SUPER easy, like I read a text in the car and then I get a headache. It feels like somebody took a baseball bat to my ribs and shoulder blades and it’s achy like that, but not painful. Wearing the band puts a lot of uncomfortable pressure on my boobs and it’s hard to sleep because it just feels like you’re bruised up and tender. I’ve been able to function pretty normally, just take it slow even if you’re going to stretch or itch yourself, just move slowly so you don’t pull anything.
I wanted to do a little experiment so I stopped taking my CBD oil and took a bag of Dani’s Doll House CBD gummies (which by the way taste awesome, taste better than regular gummies!) and the effects were the same, no pain but still some discomfort, to sleep better I decided to try taking a oxycondone pill. For the record, I don’t take drugs for anything, not even headaches. I took one pill and about 30 min later I was instantly drowsy, and then felt a little nauseous, so I took a Zofran to combat the nausea, and then I took a Colace pill to combat the possible constipation effects of the Zofran. My throat the entire night and up to the late afternoon of the next day, I felt like I had constant acid reflux and a few times it felt like I was close to throwing up…so Oxy does not do well in my system and I will NEVER take it again! I did notice that my back muscles felt less sore while I was sleeping though.
Post-op Day 2: still no pain, just very tight and my back muscles are sore, probably from hunching over because I’m afraid of pulling my shoulder blades back because my chest tightens. Still taking CBD gummies and no pain, still discomfort same as the day before. Tonight I decided to take a concoction of pills, I took a Tylenol Back & Body Pain Relief (2 pills), and then one pill of Bromelain, and one pill of Arnica. My back felt AMAZING and I had an awesome sleep. I was able to sleep on my back and at a 45 degree angle on my side without much discomfort (just a little pressure).
Post-op Day 3/4: I feel AWESOME, such a difference from the first 2 days, no back soreness, just a slight tightness. For those of you who have not nursed kids this won’t make sense to you, but I’ve nursed 2, and it just feels like I’m engorged like my milk is coming in. The mobility of raising my arms above my head improves each day, I could do it probably day 2 but it was pulling on my chest muscle so I would have to do it very slowly, possible, but uncomfortable. By day 4 I was able to put on a loose shirt over my head.
Post-op Day 5: I went in to my last post-op with Mia to get the tape off of my incisions, slight pain as Dr. Alvarez’s PA snipped the stich line, and these fyi, are dissolvable. My right incision is about an inch long and clean, my left incision is a bit longer and looks more hurried, and they are CLOSE to the crease line, but not exactly on it. Mia will send you on your way unless you’ve got questions to ask, so if you have any write them down and always bring these with you to Mia. Here’s my summary of what I asked.
• How long until I can take off my zip-up bra?
o 2 weeks, then I can go into a sports bra
• How long until I can wear underwired bras?
o 4 weeks, I won’t be my final size until after my boobs drop and around the 6 month mark (so don’t go investing in any expensive bras yet!)
• How long until I can have sex?
o 1 week
• When should I start massaging to help them drop?
o Immediately, just at the top move side-to-side motion
• The band is recommended to wear it during the day for 8 hours, and you can take it off at night to give yourself a break.
• No need to sleep sitting up, if comfortable you can lay on your back or sides right away, just not on your stomach, no concern for me to wear my compression bra at night if I don’t want to (but I found it felt more comfortable)
Notes:
• In Mia’s original contracts it says that you are REQUIRED to buy a bra with them, this is not the case! You just sign a waiver saying that your results could be affected by not purchasing a bra with them.
• In Mia’s original contracts it states that you must stay for a minimum of 5 days after surgery, also not the case! Some people say they can only stay for 3 days and Mia is like “ok!” Interesting as I’m very process abiding and I spent an extra couple of days for nothing (meaning more days in hotels).
• You don’t discuss sizing until the day of your surgery when you see your surgeon, you don’t get to try on sizers or anything. You basically take their word for what size they think would work for you and hope for the best!
• Highly recommend getting the anesthetist to put in anti-nausea medication through your drip
• If you don’t want to take narcotics, I’d wager to say that taking Tylenol Back & Aches would get you through the first few days, the CBD I’m ASSUMING, took away the pain, but did not dull my back aches
Overall, I had a positive experience at Mia, everyone is SUPER nice and friendly. Provided that I have no complications with my breast aug, I would highly recommend traveling out to Mia for this procedure. After seeing a lot of different posts on Facebook for Mia, Dr. Alvarez may not be the best surgeon for doing lifts, moreso just straightforward implants.
Oh by the way, I stayed at a recovery house while in Miami, Dani's Doll House, I only partially recommend it there but I'll do a separate post just on that experience another time.

I decided to go with Dr. Alvarez at MIA Aesthetics in Miami, I researched more into him and decided to go with MIA over CG. I love Dr. Krau's work, and I know that you should pick the best surgeon, but for what I need done I believe either surgeon will do a great job on me! And MIA is having a promo price of $2800 usd so I couldn't say no!

I made a mistake in my last post, Dr. Alvarez only works at MIA, he doesn't have his own private practice though he does have a separate website which confused me. His regular rate is $4000.

So far dealing with MIA has been great, the girls are very nice and accommodating. Easy to get in touch with them initially and I've signed off my contract and put my 10% deposit down of $280 usd. Fyi that's a cash only price, if you are paying the balance of by cc then they add 3% on top. I've called back several times to reschedule and have been able to chat with someone within a few hours.

Just as note, as I'm flying in from Calgary, AB Canada for this surgery, they require you to be there between 9 - 1 pm the day before your surgery for pre-op, and then 5 days after your surgery date for follow ups. This extends my stay quite a bit due to flights. Another FYI, with this timeline in mind, check out your ideal flights FIRST and then find surgery times that can fit within that frame. I booked for April 16 and then found out the flights I would need to take are among the most expensive for that month...needless to say I'm trying to see some reschedule dates lol.

My review for this process will be longer than most, I'm a very detail oriented person and want to try to write this so you'd be able to see exactly the process you'd be going through if you go with MIA as well :)

Currently looking into recovery houses (3 are recommended by MIA) and hotels in the area, as well as what to do in the area while I'm there.

This is the start of my BA journey, I've been doing a lot of research on finally getting my boobs done now that I'm done having kids and done breastfeeding. I'm 5"2', 110 lbs and I started off with maybe 32A or 32AA pre-kids, with a push-up swimsuit I had a teeny bit of cleavage which I was fine with. Have always thought about getting a BA, but didn't get serious about it until after nursing my 2nd kid which left me with literally no boobs, just nipples hanging out on my chest >:| I'm also really into my fitness journey and all the women I follow on Instagram have great booty and great boobs.

I live in Calgary and I called out to 3 of the top surgeons and they all came in at around $10,500 CAD. Um....no, just no. My husband works for an airline company and gets cheap flights, so it looks like it's actually going to be cheaper to fly out to the US and get my BA done there!

I've narrowed it down to two surgeons in Miami, Dr. Alvarez at MIA Aesthetics, or Dr. Krau at CG Cosmetics. I know both have their own practices and at the time of writing this, here's the cost for silicone implants at their respective locations.

MIA Aesthetics: $2800 CAD
Alvarez Plastic Surgery: $4000 CAD
CG Cosmetics: $3500 CAD
Ary Krau MD: $5500 CAD

Both do great work, but it looks like Dr. Krau does twice as many BAs as Dr. Alvarez (seems to be know more for his BBL work). It's a good 8+ hour flight from Calgary to Miami and I really don't want to fly that long by myself, so was considering surgeons in Vegas as well, most of the top ones come in around $5500 CAD.

Still in my research phase but will update as I go along, I find nobody really lists prices for the surgeons on here and it takes forever to dig through recent reviews to find prices without calling the offices!

If anyone has recommendations for a surgeon in Vegas, or has had experience with Dr. Alvarez or Dr. Krau, please post your comments!